Could this be love?
by lookingforEmile
Summary: In which Hinata suffers the consequences of Obito's manipulations. "You will be a dear and behave, I won't kill you...actually that won't be up to me." Hinata could feel him smirking behind the mask. "Maybe if you please him enough, he will let you go... mh, I don't think that will be too hard." Sasuke/Hinata Read Warning.
1. Chapter 1

Warning: This first chapter contains rape, between the two main characters, but no Sasuke won't be continually taking advantage of her. It is pretty graphic, so please don't read if these themes bother you, do yourself a favor. The story it is a romance one though, as it progresses.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

* * *

><p><em>Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city. <em>

_Proverbs 16:32_

_._

_._

_._

"Kabuto, did you get me what I asked for?" asked the orange masked man inscrutably.

"Yes, of course. And... may I ask why do you need such strong incapacitating agent, Madara?" The masked man did not answer and just replied with another question.

"How much will I need to disable someone without having them fall asleep?" Kabuto narrowed his eyes and thought for a second.

"Depends... how much does the person weights...?"

"Around 120 pounds give or take." Replied Madara leaving Kabuto with a pensive look. "3 ml, that should be enough to disable...mh, 5ml will make them sleep and 7 ...well, you get my meaning." He finished with a smirk, adjusting his glasses.

"Perfect ..." uttered Madara to himself, grabbing the drug. "Though you never answered my question... Madara" continued Kabuto slyly.

"You don't need to concern yourself with that, Kabuto ... just remember that, in this world, we all become trash, one way or another." And with those last words he disappeared in a swirl.

-o-

Hinata woke up very slowly and groggyly. Her head hurt, and her limbs felt heavy. She rubbed her face with a hand, trying to clear her head, and that was when she noticed the state she was in. She was completely undressed.

Her eyes opened suddenly, alert and panicked, remembering with sudden clarity, the incident right before she lost consciousness.

Her mind thought quickly, looking at her surroundings and getting up from where she was laying down. A very rustic looking bed and a hard mattress. The cotton sheets were rough on her skin, but that did not matter, she had to get dressed somehow and escape from that place.

She was so overwhelmed with terror, that she never noticed the presence sitting right behind her, and did so only when said person grabbed her roughly by her chest -holding her arms tightly, incapacitating her successfully- and stabbed a needle on her neck, injecting her with an unknown substance.

Hinata tried to fight it, but was unable to. The arm held her with a vice grip, preventing her from making the hand signs required to activate her eye jutsu.

"Now now, miss Hyuga, behave..." Berated a voice, tauntingly and condescendingly, belonging to the person grasping her harshly. She recognized his voice immediately, from the mission's attempt, along with team 7, to bring Sasuke back to the village. For the second time. That voice belonged to the orange masked man. The one that apparently had a sharingan. He had sequestered her, she realized with despair.

Hinata had been taking a late night bath in the public sentō that had been habituated after Konoha had been almost obliterated by Pain.

She had been working nonstop, healing and aiding the village on any matter required. Not to mention the preparations that were being conducted for the incoming war. She had been exhausted, and had looked forward to a hard scrub and a hot bath, pretty much all day.

So tired she had been, that she never noticed the man observing her sitting in the water, eyes closed, inside the ofuro. A noise had alerted her, making her open her eyes, but it had been too late. Her sight fell on a hot red sharingan eye, losing consciousness immediately after.

Whatever the man had injected in her body was taking effect, she realized. Her body became listless. No matter how much she tried, she felt too weak to move her limbs and could not even lift her head. All her body felt so heavy.

The man commenced then to caress her gently, hair and face. The young woman found it creepy and unnerving, and her face heated up in embarrassment, mortification and fear, given her naked state.

Her body was completely relaxed, yet her mind was utterly terrified and tense, _what did the man wanted from her? Why was she naked and why did he keep touching her?! _She wanted to scream, but her breath was too weak to do so. Hot tears started to roll silently down her eyes, almost without her meaning to. -Wh-what...- It was hard to even speak. "What ...do...you want... from me...?" She gasped out. The masked man moved her then, laying her across his lap, holding her back, allowing her to look at his mask.

"You will be a dear and behave, I won't kill you...although that actually that won't be up to me." Hinata could feel him smirking through the sound of his voice. "Maybe if you please him enough, he will let you go... mhh, I don't think that will be too hard." Stated the man while letting his only visible eye roam her bare body.

A door was opened suddenly, but Hinata could not turn her head to see who that was. Her mind was in complete turmoil wondering what he had meant with those words. _Will he really let her live and, what did he mean by pleasing who?_

-o-

Sasuke followed the Zetsu guy suspiciously. He was still recovering from having had Itachi's eyes transplanted into him. The strange man-vegetable had come to his room stating that Madara wanted to see him, but had not elaborated further.

The black side looked at him expressionless indicating a door, while the white side grinned at him playfully. "Have fun Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but went through the door nonetheless.

"Madara what do you ... want?" He had come just mildly curious but what he saw though, stopped him on his tracks. Madara, sitting on a bed, with a naked woman on his arms, _caressing her...?_

_"_Ah Sasuke, so good you came. Here, I have a gift for you." And he presented him the woman on his arms. Sasuke walked closer and looked at him deadpanned. "Not interested," was his blunt reply.

However, despite the apparent lack of interest in his words, his mind was anything but. He could not refrain from looking appreciatively at the young woman's curves. Sasuke frowned. He tried hard to mask indifference and not stare much, but his eyes kept shifting to her form, almost unwittingly. And Madara noticed.

It was the first time in his life Sasuke was seeing a naked woman and as such, was overcome with his curiosity... among other things. Surely such event could be considered a milestone in any teenager's life. Specially when her bountiful breast teased him with their pink _delicious _nipples. He looked at Madara's sole eye then, trying to discern the man's intentions.

The masked man never stopped observing Sasuke, observing his reaction. He smirked behind the mask. _Too easy._

"This is a Hyuga princess... look, isn't she beautiful...?" And he emphasized his words by grabbing a thigh and lifting it high, leaving her legs wide open and letting visible her intimate folds to the young man's sight. "What do you want Madara?" Sasuke was starting to get exasperated. His skin started to warm up, despite him being shirtless, and he noted how his respiration accelerate slightly. Sasuke hated not being in control, specially of his own self. He was befuddled and troubled by his body reaction. He had always been immune to a girl's wiles, so why was that one affecting him so? His eyebrows furrowed, finally admitting to himself that she was indeed beautiful,_ but why did that matter_. Sasuke did not understand that he was not looking at a girl anymore, but a woman.

"Look I'll tell you something, since you are so young and innocent to the ways of this world." Continued the man gravelly, losing the amusement that had been present in his previous dialogue. "A war is about to start, how do you think wars are won Sasuke? By being stronger? Wrong. Any clever strategist will tell you that wars are won by demoralizing the enemy. This...young woman...", and he shifted his eye back to her, caressing her inner thigh inching closer and closer to her sex.

Hinata tried to move, desperately. Yet the only thing she managed was move her head sideways, where the dark young man was standing, staring at her severely and intensively. A few more tears spilled, rolling down and disappearing on the hair around her temple. Impotence clouding her judgement. "O-onegai...let me go..."

A kunoichi never begged the enemy. She had been taught very early in the academy. That she knew, but she was present in a unique situation. She wasn't being interrogated, or being obligated do something against her village. Her body was being violated. She felt the way the hand inched closer to her most intimate place and had the circumstances been different, in most probability she would have fainted, but as it was, her body was too weak to work itself up to that state. She would have welcomed losing consciousness any day, and not have to look at the dark gaze of the familiar young man.

"This young woman is a Hyuga. 'Konoha's strongest', at least that's what her clan used to proclaim all the time about themselves." He snorted, "what I know for sure is that they sustain great power in the village. The Hyugas had always upheld great authority in Konoha, even during my time. Do you really think they were not aware of the Uchihas's threat during Fukaku's leadership? That they were not aware of Itachi's order to eliminate the clan...?" The masked man left the questions hanging, letting Sasuke assimilate his words.

"This woman is the heir of her clan... and a good friend of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. How do you think they will react if she comes back ... damaged? A great blow to the village for sure." His hand reached, in what appeared as an unconscious act but that was actually premeditated, her intimate folds and stroked slightly her outer labia, triggering a small whimper from the girl.

Sasuke, became irate. Not only was he immensely 'bothered' by the exposed naked body, but he had slowly but surely, become angry at her. If Madara's words were true, then she was guilty as well, never mind that she had been a small girl when the Uchiha's massacre occurred. In Sasuke's mind, all were guilty and all would pay. He had low self control where Itachi and his clan was concerned. Madara continued his touch, leaving the girl folds and introducing two of his gloved fingers in her mouth, wetting them with her saliva. She bit down, but it was not hard enough to provoke any damage. He laughed, "there is still fight left in you?" He sounded amused, and lowered his wet fingers to the girl folds once again, his stroked now rough along her crease, teasing and enticing the young man in front of him. It was working.

Hinata closed her eyes, hard. She was beyond distressed. She had never been touched so intimately, by anyone, and only did so when bathing. She had heard everything the man had said, about her clan, about Sasuke's clan. She could not believe it, but understood that had been the ploy the masked man had utilized to make Sasuke join him. That's how she saw it. She understood at that point, what was it that he wanted Sasuke do to her and there was a tiny bit of hope that he would not go through that. She was not naive enough to not understand the man's provocation. But she would rather die. Yes, death was preferable to the young kunoichi than having to go through the ignominy of ravishment.

"So Sasuke, this is my gift to you... you can do with her as you wish...kill her, let her go, keep her as a pet... use her. Look at this, does it not look like a flower?," and he punctuated his words by spreading open her slit, "I bet she's never been fucked... But of course if you don't want her, I'm sure there are many other things I can do with her..." Sasuke understood exactly what he meant by that. Why with the way he was touching her.

Madara lifted his gaze from the girl to stare back at Sasuke, gauging his reaction. He smirked to himself. Despite the anger he saw, he knew that look of pure unadulterated lust. There was nothing else he had to say, his job was done.

He placed the girl back on the mattress, leaving her legs hanging off the bed. He got up to leave, observing how Sasuke did not even lift his eyes from her to look at his departure.

Uchiha Obito was a clever man. One did not become the leader of a feared organization or the Kage of a bloody country by being a pussy. In all reality, he did not know if the Hyugas had known or not about the Uchihas. Most probably they didn't, after all, Itachi's order had been of the utmost secrecy and the Uchihas situation was not something that was openly discussed with anyone outside the Third's small circle of advisers. But Obito did not care about that. He had only wanted one thing, and one thing only. To corrupt Sasuke, after all, sooner or later, everyone becomes trash, at one point or another.

-o-

Sasuke stared at the woman for some time after Madara was gone. He male member hard, and that in itself was an experience on its own. He had never been hard, least of all aroused by a woman.

He was also angry. No, furious. He will take his vengeance on Konoha, and he will start right 'there'.

He walked closer to the bed, standing right in front of her suspended legs. She was short enough that her feet could not reach the floor. He watched her, vaguely remembering her from their academy days, seeing her futile attempts to move. It did not matter who she was or who she had been, he had cut those bonds.

He had been shirtless before he walked in the room, so he just started to unfasten the sash holding his dark blue pants. His eyes were intensely focused, never leaving the woman laying on the bed. He wore no undergarments, leaving his body and erect member completely exposed.

Hinata small relieve at seeing the masked man leave did not last long. A moment later, Sasuke stood in front of her, right on her vision field, since she could barely move her head. She despaired at seeing the young man commencing to divest himself of his clothes. Fresh tears escaped her eyes along with a small whimper and a plea. -Sa-Sasu-ke-kun...onegai...do-don't...- he made no gesture that he heard her, and she despaired even more.

He saw her close her eyes when he stood completely naked but he did not care. He was angry and he will make her suffer.

There was not much that he knew about sex, only that you stuck it in and that's all that he planned on doing... and take it from there. In reality he was not thinking much, just letting his instincts take over.

He grabbed her by the back of her knees, lifting and spreading her legs wide open, observing her little flower, her female sex. _A flower_...he thought,_ a flower indeed_. He placed his knees on the mattress, underneath her and grasping his hardened member with one hand, closed the space between their sexes. He stroked his head along her crease, finding a good angle. And stick it in he did.

His penetration was rough. He could not stop the hoarse moan that escaped his lips at the sensation, finding it slightly difficult but also unbelievably and incredibly pleasurable. Sasuke never thought, he never imagined how good it would be, being inside a woman. His anger completely dissipated, leaving him utterly and immensely raptured.

His moan had been so loud, that it had overpowered the girl's painful one.

His breathing was labored and he let his body get close to hers. He leaned over her, an arm on the mattress, next to her head, while lifting a leg from behind her knee even higher, leaving her completely exposed. He moved his hips slowly out and thrust himself harshly back in, grunting. The first thrust had felt strained, but the second one slid in easier, on a wetter passage. He did not know it was blood.

He did this a few times, testing the angle, until he felt comfortably enough to speed up.

By his third thrust he had closed his eyes, he had seen her face briefly scrunch in pain and he did not want to care for that. He let his forehead fall on the mattress next to hers, taking a hold of both of her legs and lifting them high, almost as high as his shoulders, letting his hips abandon themselves to a furious and ever increasing pace.

The sounds of his wet member sliding in constantly and the wet sound of his sweaty skin hitting hers harshly, was overtaken by the guttural sounds escaping his throat with every thrust. Sasuke had lost complete control of his thought process, the moment that his flesh had invaded hers.

"Fuck fuck fuck!" Not one to curse often, not one to even let out sounds of emotion, ever, he could barely contain his words, and least of all his grunting moans. It felt good, too good, so tight. It was not right, women were not supposed to feel that good. It went against all his previous reasoning. But in reality he was not thinking much at all, just letting his body do as it pleased. That was why he did not even register when his lips commenced to lick, bite and kiss her skin.

He let his tongue slobber all over her neck and his teeth bite her collar-bone and the skin of her chest. He licked her neck urgently a few times from the base to the bone structure of her face. He let his back bend over, not ever stopping the movement of his hips, reaching a nipple with his mouth. Those breasts that had teased him earlier with their soft pink crowns.

Hinata had whimpered in pain the first two times he pushed himself in. It had really hurt, so much. She had let her head fall to a side, away from his, closing her eyes, wanting to forget the disgrace being done to her body. Abundant silent tears escaped her eyes, but she would not make any noise, rather she refused to make any noise.

She tried hard to let herself go numb. Holding the rough sheets with weak fists, she opened her eyes, looking at the nondescript wall to the side. It was preferably since closing her eyes made her feel everything ten-fold. At least focusing her eyes on something else helped forget. Forget the way her body moved up and down with each of his movements, his harsh breathing on her skin, his sounds of pleasure, his cursing, his skin against hers and specially, the feel of his flesh invading hers.

She was not able though, to ignore it when he started licking and biting her, specially not when he did so to her breasts. It was disgusting and it pained her, she was hurting and fresh tears slipped along with a small, almost noiseless, pained moan.

The man on top of her suddenly let go of her legs, holding her backside with both hands and pressing her body strongly against his. He did not let go for a few seconds, groaned loudly, and let himself fall on her heavily. Hinata felt then a rush of hot liquid invade her and thought he was done. She was mistaken.

Sasuke came hard, very hard. His orgasm took him by surprise, his first one and he wasn't even sure of what it was at first, until his mind barely registered that it must have been the climax of sex. He let himself fall heavy, uncaringly on her and wondered briefly if women felt the same kind of pleasure. He was like that for a few moments, still inside her, when he noticed something. His cock was still hard.

He lifted himself slowly off from her, slipping out and feeling bereft without her snug warmth. His breath was slowly calming down, but he was still excited. He could not see her face, her long dark hair had fallen on her face covering her eyes.

He looked down at her body, letting his eyes wander. She was truly beautiful and he thought that had the circumstances been different, maybe he could have made her his girlfriend one day. In a world where Itachi still lived, in Konoha, with his family still alive. But there was no way for that now, he though angrily, grabbing her by her hips and turning her over.

Even though he was hard already, he inflamed looking at her round behind and the curves of her waist and hips. She was perfect everywhere, he thought breathlessly. He grabbed her buttocks, squeezing them unkindly, testing the feel and texture. He let it go suddenly, slipping an arm underneath her waist, lifting her up and opening her thighs with his opened knees underneath her. Grabbing himself once more, he thrusted himself back in.

The angle was different, but it still felt great. He realized then, he liked that position even better. It gave him more control. He looked mesmerized the way his member slid in and out the girl and his mind also half registered amazed, how her little hole had managed to open so much to encase his girth. It never occurred to Sasuke at the moment that, through the same opening, babies were born.

Sasuke lost himself in that pleasure once again. Slightly less rushed, more aware and specially more controlled. He kept her lifted up, holding her by her hips, since her knees could not maintain her weight and he admired her, all of her. Now with a slightly cooler head he was able to appreciate her. Her fair unmarred skin, her silky soft hair, the mole on her left butt cheek. He really like that mole. The way said butt cheek jiggled slightly with each thrust of his hips.

Sasuke, feeling his pleasure build up once more, bent over himself over the girl's body, letting his forehead touch her upper back. He smelt her skin, her hair, salty with a touch of green tea. He liked green tea. He maneuvered her, lifting one leg opening her wider, pressing her knee almost to her torso. It was good kunoichis were so flexible. Then he thrusted a few more times, letting himself go with a guttural groan, feeling the now familiar pleasure of his orgasm flow through his body.

He let her leg go and leaned over her body, just like he had done before. He was till inside her, with an arm wrapped around her waist, letting his breathing calm down. Unconsciously he wrapped his other arm around her, holding her and pressed her gently this time to his body. He slipped out, now flaccid, and felt her flinch. He flinched himself at that an leaned his head next to hers. He was taller than her by some inches, so his head was not at the same level. His hands commenced to caress her pelvis gently. This time he realized it, he knew what it was and felt chagrined. It was regret and guilt.

Now that his mind had cooled down and could analyze more clearly his motives and reasoning, he realized that he had been unreasonable and a monster.

He had let his low passions take over, lost control like the 12 year old he had been when he attacked his brother long ago. He had promised himself after that, that he would never do such again. And look at him. He was disgusted with himself. He will not blame the girl if she hated him now. Most probably she did.

He lifted himself over her, on his arms and turned her over. It was time to face the consequences.

He shifted her hair away from her eyes, very gently and she initially did not look at him. Her gaze lost somewhere on the side. He saw her, still beautiful, so very beautiful. But her eyes, her eyes were dead. No feelings or emotion, just emptiness. Sasuke realized he had made it so, caused her to wilt before she even had the chance to blossom.

Her lost gaze fixed on him suddenly, white with a hint of lavender, he noticed. Her lower lip trembled, there was pain, so much pain in her eyes. And he saw. And fresh tears spilled forth, but she made no sound. Silent, dignified crying, the kind of crying only noble women do, in secret where no one sees. But Sasuke saw and he could take it no more, he could not hold her gaze anymore. He activated his sharingan, giving her the bittersweet release of unconsciousness.

-o-

He put his pants back on slowly. Madara had said he could do with her as he wished and he decided to do exactly that. He wrapped her in the soiled sheet and carried her to his quarters, the place he had been staying at after his eye surgery.

He carried her in his arms. An arm underneath her torso, another underneath the back of her knees, her head and hair fallen down, but the sheet secured around her small body.

Sasuke saw Suigetsu on the hallway, but he paid him no mind and kept going. Suigetsu had been about to say something smart, noticing the girl on his arms, but refrained from doing so when he saw Sasuke eyes. They were lifeless.

Sasuke placed her gently on his bed, uncovering her and observing finally his 'handiwork'. Erythemas and bite marks on her neck, chest and breasts. Purple finger marks on her thighs. Blood and semen had trickled down her inner thigh too.

Sasuke sat on his bed for a moment, hiding his face on the palms of his hands. He was truly a monster.

He got up and went to his bathroom, bringing with him a basket with warm water and a small towel. He cleaned her gently, specially in between her thighs, were he had found a mess of bodily fluids. He did not know girls could bleed their first time. Because despite his lack of experience he had known for a fact that it had been the girl's first sexual encounter. The thought made him feel even worse.

He dressed her with some spare clothes he owned, although he did not have many. He had not seen any left in the room where Madara had her.

He was suddenly angry at the man and yet he would not blame him. He never made him fuck her, he did all that on his own.

Sasuke let her sleep on his bed while he sat on the floor, head leaned on his knees. He never noticed one thing. Although mainly driven by guilt, caring for the girl after the fact, had been his first act of kindness in long, long time.

* * *

><p>For those who love Obito, and I don't blame it. I don't really dislike the guy, but remember all he did before he changed his mind and helped Naruto win the war.<p>

Final Note: Comments are welcome, even if you hate the story. Also feel free to PM me with whatever tickles your pickle. I'm busy with school but I will reply at some point.


	2. Chapter 2

I want to thank everyone that reviewed: all guests, Halfblood085, aj davis, LuvleeCookieChan, Kirin Lichtegren, Selena Dark Blood, crystalblue19, Oceanic Phoenix, KabeHinata Lover-2, and of course dear Voyna who's my inspiration and has given me great ideas for this fic.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.

One more thing, if you expect a sadistic Sasuke taking his pleasure out of poor Hinatita all the time, you will be disappointed, rape is wrong and I won't endorse it. If you want to read something like that go read Marques de Sade's "Justine". Besides, the story would have been in that case Drama/Angst, no romance involved in that. This story deals more with the consequences of rape, and yes it will have a happy ending because I'm a sucker for those and it will be a Sasu/Hina.

* * *

><p>Hinata woke up shaky and dazed. She was moving, she could feel the wind flowing through her face and hair. But she was not moving, at least not herself, rather she was leaning over some superfice that moved.<p>

She opened her eyes slowly, she could see green. The green passing by she soon realized were trees and the hard superfice she was leaning on, a man's back, her head over a shoulder. Then she remembered, and a choked scream came out. It had sounded more like an intake of breath, but it was enough to announce the person carrying her that she was awake.

She tried to move and the person stopped at once. She found herself all of a sudden sitting on the ground, on the bark belonging to a big tree branch. She was clothed this time, albeit they were unfamiliar ones, but that gave her a small relief. A plain white shirt and eerily familiar blue pants. Her breasts were not bound and it felt strange having them covered just by the thin fabric, but it would have to do.

Her private parts ached, she realized with a wince as she was sat on the tree bark, noticing that she also was not wearing underpants. It was sore and it throbbed with a stinging sensation, and the fabric scratched her unpleasantly. But it was better, better than being naked at the mercy of a madman.

She looked up and saw him, standing and looking in her direction, although she could not distinguish his eyes because of the light coming from behind him. She shuddered involuntarily, and felt her body increase its heart palpitations. She started sweating profusely and her breathing accelerated rapidly. A sudden nausea overtook her but the worst was when she realized she could not breathe. She gasped for air desperately, but the needed oxygen was not reaching her lungs. Her body trembled uncontrollably. She leaned over, placing a hand on the ground holding herself, while the other hand grabbed her chest, it was tight, very tight.

Hands seized her by the shoulder, "slow down Hyuga, breathe slowly..." it did not help. She moved violently trying to shake off his hold. _Don't touch me, let me go, don't touch me, don't touch me, "_Don't touch me!" Her voice finally came out, rough and desperate, but in her wild movements she did not realize she had reached the branch's edge, and fell off.

The tree was very tall and she could feel her body weight falling with gravity's forces. It was better this way, she thought, to just die, but a pair of arms captured her at the last moment. "Are you trying to kill yourself ?!" The voice sounded angry, but she did not care, at least she could breathe now. "I am not going to do anything to you, I'm bringing you back to Konoha. Can you walk?"

_Konoha..._she thought befuddled. Her home town felt like such a far away place. So she was not being killed then, or _something else_...She got up, she could walk she realized.

A bundle of something was thrusted in her arms and flinched at his sudden movement but grabbed the item nonetheless. "Eat, is food." She opened the cloth, with small surprise. Her belly grumbled, reminding her that she was indeed very hungry. She was not sure what day it was but knew it has been a while since the last time she ate.

Opening the cloth she found some bread, cheese and an apple. "Arigato..." She muttered unwittingly, good manners had been ingrained in her since very young.

Despite her hunger, her stomach felt slightly queasy, so she ate slowly while sending him small furtive glances, making sure he did not get closer.

"Wh-why are you le-letting me live...?" She finally asked, eyes on her food, she could not bear look at him. "If you want to die so badly you can do so in the oncoming war Hyuga, I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunity for that." He said inscrutably.

"Wh-why are you si-siding with him...Na-Naruto-kun is..." He suddenly stood in front of her, his face close to hers, interrupting her with abrupt angry words, frightening her.

"Do not judge my motives!" He emphasized each word, almost screaming, "do not assume things Hyuga, you know nothing about me." This last thing was said less riled, leaving her personal space which he had invaded much to her relief.

"I ca-can go, I can walk... no, I ca-can run on my own." She knew she could not activate her Byakugan, she was too drained for that, but the food she ate gave her some strength and knew she could run for some distance.

She said this as she stood up, upright, pushing up her chest slightly to give a firm impression. She wouldn't have done so had she known how her breasts pressed firmly against the fabric, delineating their shape. Luckily for her, she never noticed when Sasuke's eyes flicked briefly down the area.

He looked at her for a while, unnerving her, gauging her reaction. "Alright." He said finally, looking away and pointed with two fingers. "If you keep going that way, at a steady pace you should reach Konoha in 5 hours. It is now... around fifteen hundred." His voice was neutral. "We are not close to Madara's hideout, so don't think that you can come back looking for the place." She wouldn't, she wanted nothing to do with that place. But there was something else she needed to know, something she was hesitant to ask about.

"Whe-when did I...when did I..." she swallowed, "when was it that..."

"Yesterday, you were unconscious all day until now. Is that what you wanted to know?" She nodded slowly, red faced with shame. He did not look at her when he said this though. But it was all the information she needed. She realized then that she had been gone for a day and half most probably. She still was not sure what to say when she got back.

With a last glance at him, she left, away from him. And Sasuke stood there, watching her disappear in the distance. He stood there for a while, even after he could see her no more. He looked down at his hands, closing them into fists, and vanished completely in a quick movement.

.

.

.

_7 years later_

Sasuke sat in his usual secluded corner that afternoon, in the tea house he had frequented for the last two months while he had been visiting _Yumegakure no Sato. _He drank tea quietly, his sword leaning against the wall next to him, looking at the entire shop from his position. He did not lead a dangerous life per se, but his suspicious nature always kept him on the alert nonetheless. He also liked to observe people, a habit he had developed for the last few years. Like the couple a few benches away from him acting all intimate and cozy with each other, yet the shameless woman kept sending him suggestive glances, _while kissing her boyfriend_. Sasuke ignored her completely.

Compared with his teenage years, it could be said he followed a rather peaceful life. He did promise Kakashi he would behave after all. It was his ass in the line, he had warned Sasuke, who honestly did not want to get his former sensei into any problems, after he had been forgiven for his past misdeeds. Nonetheless, he always went by the name Shisui in his travels, his brother's best friend's, just in case. He would have rather used Itachi, but he had been too known on the lands, and he just wanted to keep a low profile, wheresoever he went.

So far it has been incident free, mostly. Except for that time he was caught pants down having sex with a woman, by said woman's husband, on their bed. He never slept with married women as a rule, but the little tramp had never told him she was married, and he had to find out when he was cock deep into the woman's pussy. To say the man had been angry was an understatement, and Sasuke not wanting to cause a scene just grabbed his clothes with shinobi speed and disappeared in the blink of an eye. It had not been a good day.

He did not particularly consider himself a womanizer, rather women always came to him, like usual and he, well he sometimes sampled more than food on the places he went. He traveled to observe and learn the kind of state the world he lived was in. He had wanted to see the ninja world through his own eyes, all those things he had overlooked in his blind search for revenge. He even kept a journal those days. He also traveled to atone, of all his youthful sins. Specially of _that_ particular horrible misdeed of his.

He was able to let go of many self-destructive feelings, his anger towards Konoha, his thirst for revenge, his search for strength, even his self-hatred for having killed his beloved aniki, yet he could never forgive himself for what he did to _her_. He had expected to be sent to jail after the war, he wouldn't have even resisted have that been the case. But it never came. He came to the realization, that she, after all, never told anyone of what happened. It was a bittersweet sentiment, he had been relieved yet remorseful at the same time.

He saw her a few times, during and after the war before he left, always from afar. He never dared to make contact and he never saw her again after he went on his travels. The last time he had gone and visited Konoha, four years ago, he had know that she was not there. She had left suddenly on a mission, according to Naruto, who had been saddened because he had wanted the entire group to eat together. He still remembered having had the feeling that she had somehow known he was back, and was trying to avoid him.

He was quietly drinking some of his green tea and eating one his tomato and avocado filled onigiri, making a point to ignore the woman's wanton glances, when a pretty little thing sat a few benches away from his. Dark hair, fair skinned, petite and curvaceous, just how he liked his women.

Aiko, the flirty waitress came to her immediately, taking her order. He observed her, while she sat there, arms on the bench, letting her body lean over them, stretching and basking under the sun. From his vantage point he could see her back and part of her face. She had a nice facial bone structure.

She ordered dangos and tea and sat there, smiling to herself, eating her dangos in a very carefree attitude, yet her manners bespoke of good education. To him she looked like one of those women that powerful men liked to keep as trophy wifes, but her hairdo was not one of a married woman. Perhaps she was the daughter of some small local aristocrat, he further analyzed. Her yukata, green and blue was simple enough, but the innocuous hair ornament on her was valuable, he had good eyes for that stuff.

She was alluring, and he was quite taken. His eyes must have been staring at her quite intensively, because in a unexpected movement she turned and looked at him. Light blue eyes, he saw, yeah he definitely liked her.

Her mood dampened, her eyes lowered and her shoulders sank. She finished quickly her treat and left, without giving him another glance. He frowned, women usually ran to him, not the other way around. He was curious, it was always gratifying when he did a bit of chasing.

The village was preparing that day for the Tanataba festival, held every year during summer, in celebration of the meeting of Orihime, the _Weaving Princess_ and Hikoboshi, the _Cow Herder Star. _He walked some distance, following her, in between bulky colorful _fukinagashi_ , but never losing sight of the young woman. A particularly big golden _kinchaku_ almost made him lose sight of her but moving quickly the hanging object to the side made him see that she had just stood in front of a shopping stand. More specifically, she stood in front of a sword, a long black beautifully decorated katana. He smiled, he knew all about katanas.

"Do you like swords?" he said a few steps away from the girl, loud enough to be heard in the busy street.

She turned her head surprised to the side, looking at him with knitted brows. She almost looked scared, he thought for a moment. "Ano...are you following me?" Her silvery voice sounded very soft spoken. "Would you believe me if I told you I was just passing by?" His face was serious, but his tone playful, which caused the girl to let out a small chuckle. She quickly composed herself though, and answered, "no."

"Indeed...," he looked back at the sword, "so...do you like swords...? Do not let yourself be deceived by its outward beauty, a katana is all about the cut." He had walked closer, and was just a step away from her.

"The cut?" She questioned, and Sasuke smiled inwardly. "Yes the cut, let me show you." He looked around the ground, as if looking for something. He pulled a flower weed with a particularly thick stem.

"Sir, I will be testing the katana," said Sasuke to the shopkeeper, asking permission. He threw the stem up in the air, and in a swift movement that could have only been seen by an experienced eye, uncovered the katana, cut the stem in half, placed the sword back in it sheath and grabbed both pieces while they were still in the air.

"Yes, the cut, look." And he showed her the cut side of both snippets. "A sharp cut will not show loose threads...see, touch it." She was hesitant at first, but she did touch it. "Ohh..." was her answer. She looked curiously surprised, but not as amazed as he had hoped.

"See, it is not very good, but you can really cut anything with enough strength." She looked up at him then, directly at his eyes, since he was considerably taller than her. Her blue eyes reminded him a lot of his good friend back home.

"So... can your katana make a sharp cut?" Sasuke had many answers to that, none of them decent, but he simply answered, "This is not a katana, is a _chokutō__, _and it does make an incredible cut."

"Shisui," he said extending a hand, "my name is Shisui and yours?" She hesitated again, placed some hair behind her ear, but gave him hers in greeting.

"Hisana." She replied with a polite smile, bowing slightly her head. His hand grabbed hers longer than what was necessary, feeling the texture of her hand and he narrowed his eyes slightly. He had missed an important detail. Her hands were callused.

She looked flustered and he let go her hand, " Do you live around here?" he asked softly, he did not want to scare her away. He thought she might be a kunoichi and that had just made it even more exiting.

The best sex he ever had, had been with a kunoichi from Mist. She was undercover on some small town on the border of Mizu no Kuni. She had thought she had fooled him, but it had not mattered, he had just been some side fun on her mission, which had really nothing to do with him. And she had been just like that, all quiet, soft-spoken, submissive, yet that night he did things with her he never thought they were humanly possible. He had been sore the day after.

"No, I just came for the celebration...I hear they have spectacular fireworks..." she continued "do you live around here?" He could tell she was lying. It did not matter to him though, it made her more interesting.

"No, I just came for the celebration as well, I hear they cook amazing oysters around..." _As if..._but he decided to humor her. Yet it was strange, she wasn't catching on his meaning. Maybe she is truly shy, he thought.

They walked together for a while, he bought her some yakitori (which she insisted on paying but he did not allow her to) and he had some ikayaki. Later on he bought her a choco-banana, and yet she acted completely ignorant of his intentions. He was amazed. Sasuke conformed himself to contemplate, discreetly, the way her lips devoured the fruit.

After a while Sasuke desisted in his mind trying to bed her and decided to just enjoy her company. It had been a while since the last time he enjoyed a woman's company that way, and not just _enjoy_ her. She did not talk much, and Sasuke found himself relating some stories from his childhood, something he never does.

"...and then my nii-san turned to me very seriously, and said, 'Shisui, you should never put a frog on a girl's hair ever again." She laughed softly, he liked her laugh, he realized, soft, like tinkling bells.

They were then walking towards the temple, to write wishes, and that was when he heard it. Despite the fact that he relayed heavily on his eye jutsu, Sasuke prided himself of having really good hearing.

He frowned, stopping her suddenly with a hand on her shoulder. He looked at her, and she was about to say something when she was silenced by him placing a finger on her lips. His thinking deviated briefly on admiring the softness of her lips, but his attention was really placed somewhere else. The sun was setting and some stars could be seen appearing on the blue/dark purple sky. He walked towards a darkened alley on the sidewalk and that was when he saw them, three men assaulting a young girl

The men were young, most probably around his age, but the girl, the little thing could not be more than 15 summers. Her blouse was half torn, her body thrown on the dirty alley, her skirt was hiked around her small hips and from what he could see there was some blood on her lips. She was crying and they were laughing, one in front of her unbuckling his pants. Sasuke's blood ran cold. He activated his sharingan, and let his monstrous chakra flair with ferocious killing intent. The men fell to their knees and hands instantly.

They got frightened right away and one even peed his pants. Sasuke walked slowly towards them, like a predator about to kill his prey, and stood right in front of the one that had his pants half unfastened. He lowered himself, grabbed the man by his shirt, and stood eye to eye. He did not scream or yell, but his voice was terrible, taut and low, "You-do-not treat women that way", he continued, "I would kill you right now, all of you," and he looked at the other two, "if it wasn't for the ladies present." The man being held urinated himself as well.

After those words, Sasuke threw the man some meters away from him, as if he weighted nothing. The two other guys ran off quickly, not even bothering to pick up their buddy, who laid injured on the asphalt. Sasuke saw Hisana run towards the girl laying on the floor, and had green chakra on her hands, healing the bruises in her face an arms. So she was a kunoichi...Sasuke stared at her while she did so, letting his shoulders sink low, as a reminder of his own past came to mind.

The girl, who had been 16 years of age, separated herself from her group of friends and got lost in the sea of people. She wept brokenly, thanking them of having saved her. They walked her over to her house, that was a couple of miles away from the festival, yet he found himself not minding. Hisana half carried the girl, hugging her while they walked.

"Do you still want to go to the temple", said Sasuke in a low voice, very serious, after the girl had been safely dropped at her house. Hisana gave him a small smile that he fancied a tad sad."Sure", was her answer.

It was obvious to both, that they were ninjas, yet none dared to talk about it. No matter how peaceful the world have turned lately, some things never changed, and people did not just go around revealing names, specially shinobis. It was safer that way and Sasuke suspected that Hisana might not even be the woman's real name. It was fine by him, it wasn't like he was not doing the same.

They walked silently, next to each other, until they reached the temple. They walked up the high staircase and wrote their wishes in the _tanzaku._

The sky exploded unexpectedly in colorful fireworks, startling the couple. One after the other, the loud noise and lightning colors could be heard and seen everywhere, inundating the sky with their marvelous display.

Sasuke glanced at the woman, she was transfixed on the beauty of the fireworks, but he was transfixed on her. In the almost darkness, illuminated only by the sky lights, he could even imagine that her eyes were white, instead of blue. _White with a tint of lavender. _She turned her head towards him, feeling his gaze fixed on her. She looked at him as well, her mouth slightly open with emotion, and Sasuke closed the distance between them, placing his lips over hers.

He was gentle, sensing her hesitance and doubt. He placed his hands on her face, holding her softly, thumbs caressing her cheeks and angled her face sideways, deepening the kiss. It was so soft and sweet that Sasuke thought for a moment he had never been kissed that way. It almost felt as if she had never been kissed before, but what did he know. In reality Sasuke almost never kissed, he fucked. That was the way it was for him. He never did it with nice girls, those that get taken home to see the parents, they were mostly single women whose life had dealt them harsh blows and just liked to have some fun time with no strings attached. Sasuke really had nothing more to offer them than good sex.

He introduced his tongue in her mouth, and that was when she stopped him, by placing her hands on his chest. He felt it and let go her lips, not really wanting to. She did not look at him, her gaze was lowered, sideways.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." she almost whispered, lips quivering and left. He did not follow her.

He let out a mirthless laugh, like everything good and worthy in his life, it left him.

He went back to the tea house, he needed some jasmine or chamomile tea, or he would not be able to sleep otherwise.

Aiko received him with a flirtatious smile, as usual. She was kind of pretty, small breasts, but nice wide hips and have been very obvious in her intentions since he first put step in the shop, two months ago.

"Hey handsome, why so lonely tonight?" He looked at her pointedly and she shivered. Her voice dropped a few octaves and whispered, "want to fuck?"Well, she had never been _that _direct. But _why not..._Sasuke sighted, "Sure".

.

A rickety bed and loud moans could be heard throughout the chamber. "Shi-Shisui !...YES YES YES, OH fuck YES!" Despite the time he had been traveling, and the many times he's done it, it always felt strange being called that during sex.

The woman was on her knees, while he slapped her backside relentlessly with his pelvis. It was his favorite position. He moved her to the side slightly, reaching with his hand her clit, rubbing it to the rhythm of his thrusts. And she came, really hard around his member. He did not stop. He let his arms fall to the bed, around her body, while he continued his rough penetration.

At last his orgasm reached him, "...Hi-na-ta...", he shuddered in pleasure.

Sasuke, let his breathing calm down, slipped out of the woman and sat on the bed's edge, holding the mattress with his hands. His eyes were closed, he was slightly embarrassed. He had not called out her name in pleasure in a while, and did so involuntarily every time it happened. It always made for awkward after sex conversation. "Are you ok?," he said finally, "did I hurt you?" he could not help ask that every time he got a little rough.

He looked back at her, her gaze was on him, assessing him, unfazed by her nakedness. "Is she someone you love? Did she reject you...?" Sasuke wiped his eyes, then the sweat off his forehead and ran his fingers though his shoulder length hair getting it out of his face. He turned his head again at her with a pointed look. "I raped her." His eyes were unfeeling, gauging the woman's reaction, he had never told that to anyone before. She widened her eyes momentarily, and looked to the side. "Ah...I see...actually no, I don't see, why would a man like you rape a woman...?" there was a frown in her face, "...it makes no sense".

"I was young, stupid and easily manipulated." Sasuke let his shoulders sag, a small relief came to him. There was a sense of comfort in confessing it, something he had bottled up for the last 7 years. Also, Aiko was not judging him.

He saw her stand up to walk around the bed, towards him. "Do you regret it...?" Her voice was very low, but his voice was lower even, "every day of my life".

"You know, I was raped too..., during the fourth shinobi war, there was chaos everywhere..." Sasuke cringed. She finally stood in front of him and keeled down.

"Did you...did you forgive the one who did that to you?" Aiko removed his soiled condom from his member, made a knot and threw it away. She understood his question. "She will never forgive you", and proceeded to suck him off. Sasuke did not enjoy the rest of the night.

.

At midnight, a bamboo full of _tanzakus _burned, as per tradition. One of the burning notes had read '_I want to be forgiven_'.

.

Hinata removed her blue contacts and placed them on top of the small chest and brushed her hair. A habit she had taken every time she traveled outside of Konoha, specially if she was alone. She did not wish to attract attention of any kind, something that her white byakugan always did.

She looked at herself in the mirror, yet her eyes looked nowhere in particular, mindless of her hand motions. She touched her lips with her other hand. She just had had her very first kiss."Why...why do I keep letting my past dictate my future?", she said to herself, while a silent, unwitting tear ran down her cheek.

* * *

><p>Cha-ching! Questions? Comments? English is not my first language, feel free to make any corrections, I'm sure I have plenty.<p>

The festival I described actually does happen every year in Japan, wished are written traditionally, and hanged on wishing trees or bamboos and burned at some point, usually midnight. The food mentioned are common items sold on Japanese festivals, including the choco-banana, lol.

Dear Voyna: I'm sure u saw that coming from the very begging, :) lol


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p>That summer day of August was particularly warm, but Hinata did not mind. She had always preferred warm weather to cold Winter days. The trip back to Konoha had turned slower than what she would have wanted to though. She sighted inwardly, there wasn't much she could do, Konohamaru was having a hangover and had puked twice since they left <em>Yumegakure no Sato.<em>

"I'm so sorry Hinata-neechan..."his voice was raspy and he looked so miserable, that Hinata thought that was punishment enough.

"At least the mission was a success!" He said excitedly, giving the thumbs up, but just as soon his face turned green, went to his knees and retched again. Hinata helped him out by holding his forehead and rubbing his back. He gave her a weak smile. "Nee-chan, if it wasn't because Hanabi would kill me, I would marry you..."

Hinata smiled at him gently, but wasn't impressed." Mhh, I'm sure Hanabi would love to hear that when I get back." His face fell immediately in horror. "Nee-chan...I was joking..."

"Hai hai. Here, have some water. This is what happens when you act irresponsibly. The mission was a success, but we are still Konoha ninjas, it is our duty to represent the village well. Konohamaru, how old are you? Almost 20 right? And also a Jounin..." She sighted loudly, "what am I gonna do with you...?" her tone of voice was gentle, yet there was an edge to it. Hinata loved his sister dearly, if she was going to be dating the boy, he better learn to behave himself.

Looking back to the previous day, it had really been a bad idea to separate and enjoy the town's festival on their own. But then again, had that been the case, maybe she would have never found the almost abused girl, along with _him, _and been able to deliver her from that fate.

A dim, almost imperceptible smile came to her lips, remembering the dark stranger.

When she first saw him in the tea shop, she had been instantly scared. His white skin contrasting with his dark hair and eyes, reminded her too much of a person she just wanted to forget. The intense gaze he had fixed on her, did not help matters, and so she left. But he followed her, much to her surprise.

The black katana she had been admiring reminded her of Tenten, who loved weapons. The intricate dragon design on the hilt was particularly fetching, and so she entertained thoughts of buying it for her.

Men did not approach Hinata in general. Hanabi usually said that she was too unapproachable. Always giving a vibe of 'unavailability' , that she looked too refined, almost haughty, giving the notion that she was too good for them . 'No matter how beautiful a woman is, a man will not come near them if he knows he will be rejected', she would always say. Hinata would always smile and pat her sister's head accepting her words. It was truly unintentional on her part, but that worked fine for her.

It had been startling when the handsome stranger approached her, and talked to her. She found it entertaining seeing him trying to impress her with his swordmanship. He was very good with it, she would admit, but she could do the same with her hands. Nonetheless his information had been useful and thanks to him she did not waste her money.

She had laughed at his stories from his childhood days, but had found herself utterly embarrassed when he bought her food. To her amazement, she had found herself enjoying his company, yet that had not been the highlight of the day. Seeing him defend that girl from those brutes, broke something deep in her. The myriad of feelings that inundated her had been overwhelming to say the least. Despair, joy, incredulity, amazement, anger, it was hard to identify them all, but it had been even harder to reign them all in. With great effort she managed to contain them, thanks in part in her directing her thoughts on healing the girl's bruises. Her heart went out to the young woman, yet his voice, hard and terrible telling them 'You do not do that to women', still replayed over and over in her mind.

Hinata's cheeks warmed and she swallowed, she had felt attraction, desire, something she thought would never feel towards a man, and it had frightened her. Her heart still warmed thinking of that kiss, her very first kiss. His lips had been so gentle, so warm, that it still brought butterflies to her stomach every time she thought of it. Yet her fears and insecurities won her over and she ran away, like the coward she believed herself to be deep down.

When she reached Konoha that fateful day, she had been surprised that nobody had noticed her absence. At the clinic they had thought she was with her clan, and her clan had thought she was at the clinic. She had been so hurt and bewildered that she had not known what to do.

She washed her body, bleeding herself raw with scrubbing, and had burned his clothes. She had known they were his because of the pants. The sensation of self-disgust would not leave alone. What would people think of her? What would her dad, her clan...Naruto-kun would think if they knew she was not chaste any more? Would they call her Uchiha's whore? Would her father look down on her with disgust at her weakness? Would Naruto look at her with pity? Kiba would have surely wanted revenge, and she could not have that. She had been sure that the little respect she had managed to gain from her father would have been instantly lost. She could not bear that as well.

The determining factor had been though, in fact, Naruto. She found him a day after, terribly sad, and told her all that Sasuke had been doing in the outside world. Hinata realized then, that the avenger was truly lost. What he did to her was just one of many, and saying anything would not have made a difference when his punishment came, whenever that were to happen. He was now an S class nukenin, a wanted criminal in all the ninja world. Telling Naruto of his friend's actions would have surely broken his heart.

She did not cry, she refused herself such commodity. Yet at night, red eyes and seeking hands would invade her flesh in her dreams. Not dreams, they were nightmares. She lost count how many times her own screaming woke her up in a tangle of sheets and sweat. How many times she lied to Ko and Neji-niisan that she was fine, just stressed out with the war. She knew they did not believe her but they never pressed.

And then the war came, and Neji died, and Sasuke came back to help the alliance. And Hinata did not know what to feel or think anymore, she just knew that she did not want any contact whatsoever with him.

She had truly tried to forgive him. She knew that Sasuke was not the same man she had encountered that fatal day, yet in her heart, she could not manage to let it go.

.

"Hinata-chan..." sing-songed Konohamaru feeling notably better, "you know you were amazing the other day, I did not know you were such a smooth talker. That old geezer's face was priceless...I wanted to punch him so bad..." Hinata chuckled.

"Now, now Konohamaru, punching him would have never gotten us anywere...In this kind of job, you have to be patient, you can't let your feelings be involved because the moment they do, you lost. "

"I know, I know, still. You were so cool. I can't wait to tell Hanabi what an amazing oneesan she has." Hinata's cheeks blushed lightly, and said nothing else.

A few years after the war, Hinata started taking diplomatic missions for the village. She studied really hard for it too. Politics, economy, geography. She immersed herself on learning and missions, aiming to forget her tormentous past and yet she learned too quickly that escaping did not solve the issue. Nevertheless, despite everything, she refused to fall into depression and self pity. Perseverance, that was her way of the ninja.

Privately, she gave up on love and in ever getting married but professionally she promised herself she would truly be the best she could be. That meant giving up her birthright as future clan leader, because a Hyuga heir was expected to marry and produce heirs, and she adamantly refused to do so. There was another reason for it though. One that she only confided to her father in private. Hinata was a war hero, a respected kunoichi in the village and sealing her with bird cage mark would have been a great no no, when it came to clan and village politics. But who could save Hanabi from such fate? Who would defend her? Her, who had been still a child during the war, barely 12 years of age. Hinata had a great group of friends and high ranking individuals (including Tsunade, Kakashi and not to mention the Inuzuka, Aburame and Sarutobi clans) to back her up if it ever came down to it. But who could protect dear Hanabi? A young girl that had still to prove her worth to the village.

It had not really been a hard decision for Hinata to make. She loved her sister dearly and if she were to be completely honest with herself she had been very relieved. Being a clan leader was no easy matter, specially being a Hyuga clan leader.

Undeterred by her response, Hiashi had still attempted to find spouse for his oldest daughter. During the last five years she had rejected seven omiai attempts and two arranged marriages. Well three really, counting the last one, right before she left the village for her latest mission. Hinata had calmly and patiently told her father that no she did not wish to meet, least of all marry Suna's Kazekage's First Aide and older brother.

Hinata still remembered her father, right after they got woken up from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he had gone straight to find her. She still remembered his countenance, first desperate and then relieved at seeing her alive and well. She had never seen her father look so old then. And that night, when everyone lain down to rest, after providing medical aid to anyone who had been in need, he hugged her and she slept in his arms. It was the first time her father had hugged her since she was a toddler and she had cried while he told her how proud she had made him.

It had truly been a good mission.

Tenzo Enro, the leader of _Yumegakure no Sato_, had decided to increase the price of coffee, going against an agreement arranged the previous year.

_"So, Konoha has no more capable shinobi now, and they had decided to send a little girl? Ah?" The man bristled, "we will not lower the price, a typhoon three months ago destroyed a main bridge and it is taking time and resources to get it fixed. And that is final." _

_Hinata smiled gently at the older man, nodding in understanding and drinking a bit of tea. In reality, anyone that knew her would had known it had been a condescending smile. _

_"I understand Tenzo-sama," she continued "yet what I don't understand is why is such thing affects the trade route. If I am not mistaken, that bridge you are referring to borders Takigakure no Sato, on the opposite side of Hi no Kuni..."_

_"What you are saying...!" The older man interrupted Hinata, but she continued unperturbed." Furthermore, Tenzo-sama, coffee is a commodity consumed mainly by medium to high-class citizens, which is around 40% of Konoha's population. Yet coffee is not a product as popularly consumed, as let's say green tea. I will go so far to say the product is consumed by, at most 15% of the village's inhabitants. That makes the market's demand kind of limited doesn't it? Your village also require's iron and copper, all of them necessary materials for any developing town, which we provide. Prices which, we so graciously if I may add, lowered, as per last year's agreement. The prices of iron and copper you are receiving are the lowest we have given to any other village. Therefore Tenzo-sama, if you so desire, this little girl can go back to Rokudaime-sama an let him know of your decision. But be assured that I have been given full authority to let you know that copper and iron prices will go back to their original one... Aah? 18% increase, right Konohamaru?"_

_"Hai, Hinata-san." He responded promptly. _

_Hinata calmly took another small sip of tea, enormously pleased. The older man's face had been livid, she noticed. She already knew what the meeting's outcome would be. _

_Kakashi had almost begged her to make the old man acquiesce. Apparently Konoha's upper chain of command subsisted on coffee. Kakashi had been very clear, if the price of coffee went up, his life would turn completely and utterly miserably. _

_Hinata had a feeling he was being just a bit melodramatic. But oh well, it not like she was the Hokage and knew how that life went. _

_._

_._

_._

Sasuke woke up that morning forlorn.

It was mornings like those when an urge to drink alcohol would come over and engulf him. He never indulged in it though. He knew how that path went down and it was not pretty. And so he decided to do what has been on his mind for a few months now. Go back home.

Good old ass-kicking Naruto always managed to put him in a good mood. Not that he would ever come out any better out of it though. They would both usually spend a few days in the hospital right after, much to Sakura's vexation. It was all for the sake of fun and games, they never really fought seriously, not anymore, like the last time when they both lost an arm. After all, Naruto was truly and genuinely his best friend.

.

.

.

"...Hinata, I hear your last mission went well." Said Hiashi placing a black piece on the igo board game and taking a few white ones.

"Hai, chichi-ue." She added a white one taking one of Hiashi's.

"I only hear praises for you from Kakashi...mh, that was a wrong move." (tack), he placed another piece.

"Surely he exagerates chichi-ue." Hinata moved another piece and sipped some of her tea.

"I doubt it, the son of the White Fang of Konoha does not give praises for nothing." _Well_, thought Hinata, _I just saved his derriere from the anger of a bunch of beaurocrats_...Hinata hid an amused smile by sipping some more tea, at her own thoughts.

"So..."

"Hai chichi-ue." She knew what was coming next, and she sighed.

"What are your plans for the future?" (tack) He moved a black piece.

"We have gone over this already chichi-ue." (tack) She moved a white one.

"Yes, but you never give me a straight answer." (tack) His turn.

"I do, you just don't want to hear it chichi-ue." (tack) Her turn.

"I want to see you married and with kids, daughter. I want grandchildren." He was frowning now, and Hinata was getting a bit exasperated. She had gone through this with her father too many times.

"I thought you just wanted me to become a strong kunoichi, chichi-ue."

"You know exactly what I mean Hinata."He sounded strained. He knew her game, she was treating him like a child now and that always managed to get him in a bad mood.

"No I do not, you need to make up your mind chichi-ue." Hiashi's next move removed a bunch of her white pieces. She had lost the game.

"Hinata...do not get that tone with me." Hiashi looked gravelly, but then Hinata raised her eyes to him, with a smile on them.

"I lost", she said after a moment and made a cute gesture with her lips. Her father's anger instantly dissipated.

"I have to go...I still need to finish the mission's report." She got up, keeled next to him and continued with a small voice.

"Otosan, I'm sure Hanabi will give you plenty of grandchildren. We already talked about this..." She kissed his forehead while holding his cheek with a hand, and raised to leave. She only called him that during the most private moments. Hiashi never showed it but he loved it when she did that.

"Are you...coming tonight for dinner?" Hinata smiled gently back to him, she could perceive desperation in his voice, albeit well concealed.

"Hai," and she left.

Hiashi let his shoulders sink after his daughter left. She reminded him too much of Hisana, his late wife. His kind and gentle wife, who had never been a ninja.

His relationship with his daughter was a good one, he could say that. However, he could not help but feel guilty every time he thought about the way he treated her during her younger years. His harsh treatment would build strong character, he had believed back then. A soft-spoken, gentle woman would not survive the clan's council of elders. He had been wrong. It was precisely that humble and gentle bearing that the clan needed the most. Meekness wasn't weakness, but power under control. He knew that now.

He always suspected that something had happened to her before the war. People did not commonly wake up in the middle of the night screaming, and Hinata, as far as he knew, had never been a child that suffered nightmares. Neither Ko or Neji were able to tell him why though, the closest people to her in the clan.

It was a few years later that he talked to Kurenai, her sensei and she confirmed that indeed, something bad did happened, but it was not her place to tell him what.

Hiashi, despite being the young woman's father, never felt confident enough to ask her, as if he had no rights, although he suspected a few things. Maybe it was better to let that go, whatever it was, but it worried him that his daughter did not want a family of her own. The times were peaceful enough, the likes of which it had never been seen before, perfect to start families. And besides, he really wanted grandchildren, her grandchildren, with or without the byakugan. He did not care, he just wanted his lonely daughter to be happy.

Hiashi finished his tea. He won the game with Hinata, yet couldn't help but feel like he had been the loser.

.

.

.

Sasuke arrived to the village two days later, under the hot afternoon sun. _Home sweet home_, he thought tiredly.

He went directly to the two ninjas on duty at the main gate, to show his Id. The woman, who was incredibly young, threw him shy appreciative looks while the guy was visible cross by the woman's reaction. Yes, everything was like usual in Konoha for Sasuke.

He gave the man his Id without saying a word, the man's nasty look turned to one of shock when he read his name. Sasuke could tell because he left his mouth slightly open. Sasuke smirked, "Hm," was his answer and picked back his Id.

He walked slowly towards the Hokage tower. The village had grown considerably, since he left it three years ago. He could tell.

He was tired, and the only thing in his mind was a hot shower and sleep, but Kakashi had requested him before he left the last time, to check in with him every time he got back. He wasn't sure why, but he had a pretty good idea.

The red Hokage tower, despite being a new building looked just like the older one. You would think people would like a new architectural design, but whatever pickled their tickle, really. Sasuke did not care one way or another.

He did not recognize anyone while he walked, and the people around did not recognize him as well. Have I really changed that much? Women along the way kept throwing him saucy looks, some more daring and obvious than others. It was unnerving, sometimes they made him feel like a piece of meat, like in that moment. Although, well, if he were to be completely honest with himself, sometimes he did not mind.

He reached the tower, Id in hand. Every time someone would stop him, he would just show his Id and state "Uchiha Sasuke", as he continued to walk up, without giving the person a second look and see the expression on their faces.

A very annoying looking shinobi stopped him at the Hokage's office door, declaring rather snobbish that the Rokudaime was busy at the moment and that he had to wait.

Sasuke was not in nature a patient man, yet he endured 15 minutes outside. 15 very long minutes in which he just really wanted to strangle the irritating man. Seriously, he had to be older than the pesky annoyance.

"This is as far as I'm gonna wait", he said loud enough for the other man to hear and went directly to the door, opened it rather loudly and entered with no qualms, amidst the protests of the younger shinobi outside.

Kakashi was...he could not tell exactly at first. He had been leaning back on his chair from what he saw the first moment, yet he straightened himself rather awkwardly and clumsily when he heard the door bang open, causing some papers and desk items to suddenly fall haphazardly to the ground. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Kakashi was never awkward or clumsy.

"Ah...Sasuke?"

"Hm".

"Eh, Udon you can go, it's fine." And he laughed nervously. Something was definitely up with the man.

Udon left, and Sasuke walked closer to him with narrowed eyes. "What a surprise Sasuke, I did not expect you..." He was nervous...and embarrassed. That was too strange, Kakashi never showed such emotions, unless...

"I see..., were you masturbating?" Sasuke words were very blunt and unexpected. A loud thunk of something hard hitting the wooden desk was heard coming from underneath, yet Kakashi had not moved. His brows pinched though. He was caught.

"Ah, nevermind, sorry. You were getting a blow job." Sasuke could see a little red showing on the bit of skin over the mask. "I just hope it is a woman." He taunted further. It worked.

"Hey!" A woman's voice was heard from underneath the table, and she came out.

"It's always good to know my sensei has not turned gay but..., Inuzuka Hana? Really?Isn't she like...20 years younger than you or something?" Sasuke was enjoying himself at that point, at his old sensei's expense, he deserved it, for making him wait.

Kakashi, whose embarrassment for being caught had already passed, had collected himself and did not fall to his student's taunting, but Hana did.

"I am not twenty years younger than him, just eight..." She said with increasing bashfulness.

"Hana, don't mind him. Sasuke, it's good to know my kawaii angsty student has now a sense of humor."

"I waited 15 minutes outside because you were, according to the bothersome being at the door, busy. And you were getting a blow job." He said deadpanned.

"Now Sasuke don't be jealous, it's very unbecoming." Kakshi's eyes were creased in a smile now.

"You know what, I just came to tell you I'm here. I'm leaving." He turned to leave, but Kakshi called him one last time.

"Hey Sasuke,"

"Mh?" he did not turn.

"It's good to have you back." Kakashi was sincere.

Sasuke never turned, but smiled lightly, made a hand gesture in farewell and left.

"Well, that was embarrassing. I think I just lost my pupil's respect" Said Kakashi when he was finally alone with the Inuzuka.

"Yeah..." She was really embarrassed, as seen by her still red cheeks.

"So..." he said.

"So..." she answered.

"Mh...should we continue?" He sounded hopeful.

"...ok." Was her demure answer. Kakashi smiled stupidly.

.

.

.

The entire Uchiha compound had been destroyed by Pain, and it did not exist anymore, but the area where his parents' house had been, was still owned by him. He really had no use for all the compound's space and his parents' house was quite some acres in area. A lot for just one person, in anyone's opinion, but it was his childhood home, even if it was just the space. It was good for him, least he did not have to see the dark blood stains on the wood no more.

Naruto had begged Tenzou to rebuild his house, and like the good pushover he was, acceded tiredly. Not that he minded that much. He owed a lot to Naruto after all.

He needed a bath first, and so he went directly to the sentō, he doubted his house had the electricity on and despite the warm summer day, was in the mood for a scrubbing hot bath.

He was completely lost in thought, but Sasuke was not such an inattentive person as to not notice the orange monstrosity walking towards him, along with his ghostly double.

Naruto was almost in front of him and so Sasuke was about to say something when he was completely ignored and bypassed by the two friends, leaving Sasuke with his mouth half open and discomposed, not that he showed such emotion on his face but still...

He glimpsed sudden orange on the corner of his eyes, and saw Naruto walking backwards in a rather comical fashion.

"Teme...?" Naruto looked at him oddly.

"Dobe." He said impassively.

Naruto widened his eyes. "Sasuke, what the heck man, you are starting to look like the Madara dude..."

"Naruto, you say that again, and I will punch you in the throat." Was his quiet response. Naruto did not doubt him for a moment.

"Long hair...the eyes..."Naruto looked slightly freaked out.

"Naruto..."Sasuke warned him.

"Ok, ok, really missed you man..." Naruto's hug was so strong, Sasuke was sure any other person would have suffered a broken rib.

"That looked so sweet... kind of gay though." Sai, who had been ignored for the moment made himself present.

"Shut up Sai! You are the one always comparing dick sizes!" Sasuke really did not want to know.

"But Naruto, you do have a small dick. Good afternoon Sasuke-kun." Greeted Sai amicably.

"That's because you have an elephant's trunk, dumb-ass!" Sasuke really really, did not want to know.

* * *

><p>Voyna, I really need to do a HanaKakashi, I keep making them give each other oral sex in my fics, I need to have them have some real some, really. Lol.

Note: Yumegakure no sato is a real village in Naruto, but no matter how much I tried to find the location on the Naruto maps, I couldn't so I made that up.


	4. Chapter 4

I want to first thank everyone that has so kindly reviewed:fauxtr0t, Heise, Kibachow, Naoko Ichigo, Guest (I think you are the same guest who reviewed 3 times lol), Inoke haz, crystalblue19, tanakenesis (sorry if I left someone out). Thank you guys, for real !

Heise:I'm so glad you gave a chance to the story, I do have a P with some kind of P in mind but that would be a Kaka/Hina story, lol.

Voyna: My dearest, so sorry I still want u to beta my stories, I just got a little anxious in posting it, lol. Texting you really inspired me and now I love the chapter. Ja ja. I think I made fun of your Oro rapes Sasu thing, lol. It wasn't really on purpose !

Author's note: So sorry I took so long to update, I had mostly written this chapter a while back, but I was really unsatisfied. After getting some inspiration (wiggles eyebrows at Voyna) I edited it a bit and added some stuff, and now I love it! (Even if you don't).

As always, Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei. Also, the 'Do you know how I know you are gay' is from 40 Year Old Virgin movie (as if you would not know).

* * *

><p>"Ma...Sasuke, how long are you staying this time?" said Naruto while scrubbing his left underarm with a rag.<p>

"Mhm, I don't know Naruto...depends..." said Sasuke absently while massaging shampoo on his scalp.

Naruto frowned, "Depends on what? Sasuke, this is you home..."

"Mhm..." If there was something Naruto understood about Sasuke was that his monosyllables answers could mean anywhere from 'ok', to 'fuck off'.

"I really missed you man..." replied Naruto rather bashful. Sasuke smirked and lathered his right arm.

"Ah? You know Naruto I really don't like men that way..." Naruto let out a gasp and looked at Sasuke, stopping the scrubbing of his buttcrack

"Teme...", he then narrowed his eyes and let out a foxy smile.

"You know Sasuke that was kind of gay you saying that...I'm just saying." Naruto felt quite satisfied with his witty reply, and continued scrubbing his butt-cheeks.

"Mhm" was Sasuke's uninterested reply.

"Mhm, meaning yes I'm gay or mhm meaning maybe I'm gay." Naruto high fived inwardly at his own comment.

"Naruto, are we having all this gay talk because you want to tell me something...perhaps? I already told you I don't swing that way, dobe." Sai followed their friendly banter quite curious. It had always been incredibly amazing to him all kinds of human interaction.

"Ha! Sasuke teme! do you know how I know you are gay?"

"How dobe?" To anyone else, that did not know him, would think he sounded indifferent, but Naruto, who knew him from a long time noticed a small inflection, indicating he was actually enjoying himself.

"Because you have long eyelashes." Sasuke gave him a long look.

"That was kind of lame, Naruto..." replied an attentive Sai. "Shut up! Sai!"

"Dobe, do you know how I know you are gay?" Sasuke sprayed water on his head.

"How teme?" Naruto sprayed water on his butt.

"Because you notice I have long eyelashes." Some soap had accumulated on Sasuke well formed posterior, and he scratched it.

"Mh, and you know how I know you are gay?" Naruto was now washing his balls.

"How dobe?" Sasuke ended up spraying water on his buttocks.

"Because you admit that you have long eyelashes." Naruto kept washing his balls.

"Naruto that was lame too..." Sai was truly trying to be helpful, but of course that was not how Naruto took it.

"Sai shut up, or I'll smack this rag on your face!" Said Naruto standing up and holding the rag in front of him, the same rag with which he had just been lathering his balls with soap.

"And dobe do you know how I know you are gay". Sasuke would not admit it, but he was enjoying himself.

"How teme..." said Naruto more sedated, sitting back on the wooden stool.

"You have pubes on your face." and started rinsing his shoulder length hair.

"Nani! These are marks, not hair!" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

"Teme do you know how I know you are gay?" continued Naruto vehemently, rinsing his crotch.

"How dobe?"

"Because your clan's symbol looks like an upside down ball sack." A vein popped in Sasuke's forehead. He let it go though.

"Yeah, that was a good one Naruto." Said Sai pensively earning him a nasty look from the dark haired man which he ignored.

Sasuke got up and sat inside the ofuro, put the small towel on his forehead and closed his eyes.

"Dobe, and do you know how I know you are gay?" Naruto was just finishing rinsing his body.

"How teme?" He got up and sat in the hot water inside the ofuro.

"Because the men in your clan have pink hair, pink, hair." He emphasized.

"Teme do you know how I know you are gay, man?" By now they were garnering quite the attention from other bathers.

"How dobe."

"Because Orochimaru smacked that ass when you were 13, and you loved it." Naruto smiled foxily and placed the small towel on his forehead.

"And you know how I know you are gay, dobe," but Sasuke did not let him reply, "because you and Kyubi bang each others butt-hole every night" Sasuke accompanied his words by smacking both palms repeatedly a couple of times, without opening his eyes.

Naruto laughed nervously, "Sasuke teme...that was pretty gay man...Kurama did not like it..." Sasuke yawned. He really did not care what Kurama thought, one way or another.

"So... are you two coming out of the closet...or something?" Asked Sai in all seriousness, who had just sat inside the ofuro.

Sai had lately been taking his sweet time bathing, something that was very closely related to Ino having informed him some months ago that, 'If you don't take a proper bath every day, you are not sleeping on my bed', or something along those lines. Not that Sai had ever been negligent with his bathing routines, but as a boy not having grown with a woman's care...And Ino was very picky when it came to cleanliness. To sum it up, Sai was pussy whipped by his wife.

Sai had just closed his eyes, letting his head rest on the border of the bath, when he felt a rag smack his face harshly. "Sai, I warned you..."

"Growing some ball now Naruto, " Sai smiled creepily, removing the rag from his face and trowing it to the side,"too bad you still have a small dick.

"Ha! Better than..." and he made a gesture with both arms, dangling them in the air, "I bet Ino's vagina is all wobbly and stuff."

"You better not say that in front of her Naruto, she will probably kill you...But besides that, it is better than leaving a woman virgin after you are done having sex with her." Sai pat himself on the back internally for such a well placed joke. Social humor was one of those things he struggled with.

Both men heard then a low rumble. Sasuke was laughing.

He immediately cleared his voice, and turned to the other side.

"Sa-sasuke...you laughed man..." Naruto was ecstatic.

.

.

"Let's celebrate!" Screamed Naruto excitedly, leaving the public bath, which really meant 'let's go to Ichiraku'. Sasuke did not mind, he actually liked ramen, just not to the obsessive level his friend did though. Ichiraku ramen was as very... 'Konoha', and Sasuke was kind of craving that.

"Sorry, Naruto, I promised Ino I would go home to have lunch. Glad having you back Sasuke-kun." Sai smiled, waved at both and dissapeared in a swirl of black ink.

"Hnn, she got him in tight leash..." Murmured Naruto. "You missed it teme, Ino and Sai married last year."

"Really?" was Sasuke's comment, but he wasn't truly interested.

"Big party too, Ino's idea of course," Naruto scratched his head, "I got so drunk, I woke up in Ino's bathtub." Naruto of course, did not mention he woke up next to a passed out Kiba on said bathtub as well. Overall it had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. He made Kiba promise that, 'what happened in Ino's bathtub, stays in Ino's bathtub, no homo'. He never indulged in alcohol after that.

Sasuke just gave him a 'look', but did not comment and just kept walking.

"Ohh, nice legs..." commented Naruto as they came closer to the ramen stand. Sasuke agreed, but made no comment. The crossed pair of legs sitting on one of Ichiraku's stools did look nice.

Naruto outdistanced him and went inside the place, ducking the fabric dividers. Sasuke, right behind him, was about to move aside the noren, when his shinobi instinct kicked in, he heard the punch and moved aside with quick reflexes. A second later, Naruto's body flew out the ramen stand, falling painfully on his rear end some meters away.

Sasuke saw a second later long black hair flying out from underneath the noren, running towards a blood spitting Naruto. The nice pair of legs had a nice body too, and could impart quite the sucker punch, he observed.

"Na-Naruto-kun, gomenasai...demo, you should not scare people from behind like that, Naruto-kun. "Sasuke swallowed hard. A red faced Hinata already had her hands glowing green and was healing him. She did not like it when people grabbed her from behind, something Naruto had just learned the hard way.

Sasuke stood in front of them, wide eyed, realizing who the person was. He frowned, feeling his stomach do somersaults. She was the last person in the world he wanted to see, yet she also was the one he longed for the most, much to his discomfiture. Sasuke swallowed again, looking at her unblinkingly. She hadn't notice him.

"Gomen, gomen, Hinata-chan, I shouldn't have scared you like that...I'm ok, Kurama is healing me already," Naruto smiled wide, "look who's back. The teme!...I mean Sasuke" Naruto knew Hinata was very respectful, always.

Sasuke saw how her smile faltered and her pinky twitched. She looked slightly to the side, not really looking at his face, but noticing him standing there. She fixed a smile on her face, but he could see she was starting to hyperventilate.

"Ah...ano...I see..."She fainted, on top of Naruto and Sasuke did not like that.

.

"Teme, did you scare her or something? She hasn't done that in so long..." Naruto murmured his last words, frowning in thought.

"Don't blame me dobe, she barely looked at me." Sasuke deadpaned, faking disinterest, yet in the inside he was in complete turmoil. Lying about that just made him feel like the worst scum on earth.

"Sasuke your house is close by, lets take her there until she wakes up." Naruto picked her up. "But let's get some ramen to go first!" He walked towards a dumbfounded Sasuke, and unceremoniously dumped the girl on his friends arms.

"Na-Naruto..." it was a good thing Naruto did not hear him, he was busy making the orders, or he would have suspected something was going on with his friend. Sasuke did not stutter. Ever.

Sasuke allowed himself to look at the unconscious woman then, feeling his heart increase its rate and starting to breathe slightly harder. To say he was uncomfortable was an understatement, yet a small tiny part of him relished having her in his arms. He prayed on the inside then, that she would not wake up any time soon, only Kami-sama would know how messy would that be.

Her pale face was turned sideways, her hair covering part of it, yet Sasuke recognized the curve of her jawbone, it was Hitomi, he knew then. He suddenly felt stupid, at not having recognized her before. It all made sense then, the strong pull he had felt towards her. He winced inwardly, if she did not hate him before, she will despise him now, when she realizes she had kissed him. Her own rapist.

Sasuke also felt his heart constrict, remembering her in a similar posture some years ago. She had been wearing substantially less clothing though. He noted how her face had lost some of her roundness, the texture of her sking behind her knees where he was holding her up, the way her blouse, which covered her all the way up to her neck, delineated her figure, specially her chest. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

His hands tightened his grip on her, he had ruined any chances he could have possibly ever had of being with her. Sasuke self-hate increased exponentially, for a moment.

Uninviting memories reached him full force. The painful moans, the silent tears, the soft voice begging him not to, yet those were not the worst. Recollections of how much he had enjoyed her body inundated him as well. Him grunting like an animal in heat, the soft skin underneath his lips and tongue, the feel of the tight flesh wrapped around him, his first orgasm and not least of all the mole on her left butt-cheek. He had really liked that mole. He even had dreams about it sometimes...

"Sasuke, are you blushing?" Naruto of course had to interrupt him at the worst moment, and Sasuke had been so lost in thought he did not notice him approach. _Good job Sasuke, you are loosing your edge, but now think quickly!_ "It's the sun Naruto, you have been making me wait for too long."He replied impassively.

"Ehh?, it's not like you to make excuses." Naruto had the bad habit of being very perceptive when it was less needed, or so Sasuke thought. "Don't tell me you like Hina-chan?" Naruto smiled foxily and Sasuke hated how his friend referred to her in such familiar way.

"Mhm, can we go now?" Sasuke knew any further remarking on his part would just sink him into more trouble, better to just change the topic. He should have know Naruto wouldn't just leave it alone.

"Is that mhm meaning ,yes I like her or maybe I like her or you wouldn't mind bang..."Naruto was suddenly interrupted. Sasuke did not like where the question was going.

"Can we just drop her off at the Hyuga compound? Don't you think we will look strange carrying her around? As in, creepy strange?" Sasuke felt the need to clarify.

"Hinata-chan hasn't lived inside the compound for a while, she moved out like...five years ago. And besides I'm her friend, why would people think it weird? She used to faint all the time back in the days..." Sasuke wanted to ask why, but he refrained himself from doing so. It wouldn't do for Naruto to think that he was interested in her in somehow. Not that he wasn't, but his feelings had to forcibly remain purely platonic.

"Maybe because I'm the one carrying her dobe, I have never been her friend." Sasuke pointed out.

"Ahh, Sasuke don't be such sour puss, and besides don't be a hypocrite man, you were just eying her rather appreciatively." Naruto wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and Sasuke felt irritation well up.

"I mean don't get me wrong man, Hinata-chan is like..."Naruto thought out his next words, "one of the hottest chicks in Konoha, " Sasuke dearly hoped that was not the overall population consensus, " I hear she has gotten a lot of marriage proposals, " Sasuke felt his breathing stop, "but she keeps rejecting them..." Sasuke breathed normally, he was going to kill Naruto one of this days. "Weird, I don't know what's up with her..." _And I hope you never know Naruto_...

.

.

.

Hinata woke up disoriented and lethargic. The futon she was laying on was unfamiliar but clean. The sheets were soft too. She got up, walked towards the half opened shoji doors leading to the outside. The sky had already darkened, which the girl found strange because she was having lunch in Ichiraku...She gasped, remembering. Sasuke was back. Not only that, he was Shisui! She was horrified.

She rubbed her thighs unconsciously, and looked at her clothes. No, she was not sore there, neither was she wearing unfamiliar clothing. Her breathing calmed down slightly.

Hinata had not slept properly since she arrived to Konoha from her mission and still had to finish her report, which was why she decided that day to have a quick meal and finish it, and perhaps take a nap later, if there was time.

It would have been alright if she had found out by someone else's word, and thus requesting a long term mission outside the village. Like she did the last time, four years ago. She knew she was just setting herself up, escaping led nowhere. One day Sasuke could decide to just stay in Konoha, and what would she do then? Move out of the village? That was ridiculous.

The house was unfamiliar, but she had a pretty good guess to whom it belonged to. She was tempted to take off, and disappear, but Naruto was probably still there and it would have been very unpolite to just vanish.

Hinata really did not want to see _him_, nonetheless, she breathed in, renewed herself with courage, and walked towards where the voices were coming from. She could hear Naruto's unmistaken loud raspy voice. She smiled, she was not alone.

"...and then Sai, who was completely smashed by then, gets asked by Sakura what was it that he loved the most about Ino, all for the sake of recording the moment." Naruto laughed heartily, "Sakura should have known better, seriously, guess what the jerk says?" Naruto attempted to imitate a slurred Sai, " 'I like her pussy the most' , he got punched so hard by Sakura, that I think he wasn't able to have a wedding night." By now Sasuke was chuckling too, imagining the scene.

Naruto's words mortified Hinata immensely, she had been present when Sakura asked Sai, and had innocently looking forward to some romantic answer. Had she known Sai she would have never expected such, everyone that knew Sai personally also knew, that there was not an ounce of romanticism in him. Although he could be very thoughtful sometimes.

Hinata was, though, taken aback from what she saw in the Uchiha's kitchen. Naruto cutting vegetables while Sasuke, next to the sink, was cutting meat. Hinata would have thought the sight rather cute, if it wasn't for the dark haired male standing there, with his back towards her.

"Hey Hinata-chan, glad you woke up, girl you slept a lot, it's a good thing Sakura keeps Sasuke's sheets clean." Hinata felt faint, but tried really hard not to give it much thought to the fact that she slept in the Uchiha's bed.

"Ano...I'm so sorry for imposing, thank you for ta-taking care of me." She bowed prettily. "I will take my leave now." All this was said looking at the floor.

Hinata was just turning to leave, when she felt a hand on her arm. "Wait Hina-chan," Sasuke's eye twitched, "stay, Sasuke is making nikujaga. Can you believe this bastard can cook really good? Seriously Sasuke, you would make a great stay at home husband." Naruto guffawed at his joke.

Sasuke ignored him pointedly and Hinata's embarrassment increased exponentially.

"No no, I really have to go Naruto-kun, I promised chichi-ue I would go home for dinner."

"But Hinata-chan, it is past eight, their meal is probably over." Hinata eyes widened. _Nani?_

"I saw it was dark, but I did not know it was that late..." she finished despondently.

"Then that's it, just talk to your old man tomorrow, he will understand. Stay here we are making a lot food, right Sasuke?" Sasuke replied with his patented mhm, without turning around.

"Teme say something to Hinata, man it's not like we see you all the time or something." Finished Naruto with a pout. Sasuke let his shoulders drop, almost imperceptibly, sighted and turned around.

"Hyuga you can stay, I'm cooking a lot of food..." He did not look at her, but bowed as well.

Hinata had known, when she saw the dark stranger, Shisui, in Yumegakure no Sato tea shop, that he was eerily familiar. Now what were the chances of her actually encountering Sasuke and receiving her first kiss by said man? _Her rapist_.

The fond memory of said kiss crumbled immediately. She trembled, but put on a fake smile. She nodded politely and answered, "Gomenasai Uchiha-san, I really do not want to impose..." But the choice was taken from her. "What are you saying Hinata-chan! Come, tell me how to cut these carrots, because the teme keeps scolding me because I'm cutting them too big." And he guided her to the cutting board, holding her by her shoulders. Hinata really wanted to protest, but did not want to make a scene. _Just a meal Hinata, that is it. Naruto-kun is here...he will protect me and I'm strong_...So she kept telling herself, yet she knew deep down, a man that had protected a young girl so strongly and has kissed her so softly, was no rapist.

Hinata got a sudden urge to cry, but she just smiled gently and grabbed the knife. "It is like this Naruto-kun."

.

To say the dinner was awkward was an understatement. Naruto was practically the only one chatting, with the occasional grunt from Sasuke, or the 'hai Naruto-kun' or 'iie Naruto-kun' from Hinata.

The nikujaga had been really good and Sasuke had refrained from looking at her the whole time, for which she was grateful. She avoided looking at him as well and tryed to keep her attention on Naruto. That was except for one time when they both reached for the pickled plums at the same time, and his dark gaze had fixed on hers for a split second. Her cheeks reddened in distress, and she removed her chopsticks from the small bowl immediately. Neither attempted to grab pickled plums again. It had been a good thing that Naruto had been fighting his way with a big chunk of meat to notice the uneasy exchange.

Hinata walked back to her apartment absentmindedly, still incredulous of such meeting. If someone had told Hinata the day before that her first encounter with the last Uchiha would be during a meal, a meal that he prepared too, she would have laughed at their face. No only that, but she had slept on his bed, and found out she had her first kiss with him, and he could actually be a gentleman, and could cook...Hinata had to forcibly calm down herself.

However, the thought that troubled her the most had nothing to do with any that, but rather with something the man had told her when he was going as Shisui, _why had he talked so candidly about his brother? _

.

.

Sasuke could not sleep well that night. Her scent was impregnated in the sheets, it was torture.

He got up, got a cold shower and went back to bed.

An hour later he go up again to have some linden tea and then went back to bed.

Later on he sat on his bed and meditated for a bit. Some said the best way to meditate was to empty the thoughts. He thought that retarded, there is no human way to empty a mind of thoughts. Instead he analyzed his life, trying to look at it from different points. What he's doing, how he's doing it, what could he make better. He would think a lot of Itachi and ask himself what would he do. It was obvious to him that Itachi would have never found himself in his situation, he had been after all really kind. The same could not be told about Sasuke. He wished many times he had his brother's temperance, but alas, he was who he was.

_Itachi would appologize, seek her out and appologize, or take advantage of some situation to apologize, or send a letter to apologize...or_...At least it was crystal clear what he had to do, even if she wanted nothing from him, he had to apologize...somehow. Sasuke was able to sleep a few hours after that.

.

.

Naruto went to bed that night with a smile on his face. It had been obvious to him that Sasuke had liked Hinata, and from what he had noticed, a lot.

It made a lot of sense, Sasuke blushing, refusing so half-assedly to carry her. He had even looked uncomfortable,_ since when Sasuke looks uncomfortable?_ He was one of the most shameless person he knew, not counting Jiraya and Kakashi-sensei of course. _And did he really think he did not hear him stuttering his name, at Ichiraku?_ Then during the meal he had been so quiet, not that Sasuke was ever loud, but he had acted rather uncharacteristically. _And did they really think he did not notice the whole pickled plum incident?_ It had been the most hilarious thing, but Naruto knew how to be tactful. Sometimes. And besides from what he understood, Sasuke had become, kind of, a womanizer, to actually see him uncomfortable around a girl...Well, it was perfect, thought Naruto. Because if there was one thing now that he wished the most, was for his dark haired friend to stay permanently in Konoha. Even if that meant for Sasuke to end up with Hinata. Naruto frowned slightly.

Two years after the war he had asked Hinata out. He had always known she had loved him and had honestly felt like a jerk for always ignoring her. He had always appreciated her as a teammate, but it wasn't until he saw her with her new outfit that he started to see her as a woman. Hinata had great boobs, and he was addicted to boobies, what could he do. He was truly a jerk. Yet the one time he masturbated thinking of her, had made him feel like the worst kind of person. How could he think of sweet Hina-chan that way.

He decided then to ask her out. And she, very gently, rejected him. Naruto had been rejected many times, by the villagers, by Sakura-chan, yet it wasn't until Hinata had done so that he had truly felt he had lost something precious. It had hurt, he could admit. At first he thought that she might be going out with someone, yet he always saw her alone. It was some time later that he started to hear the gossip of how she kept turning down marriage proposals. He had wondered if something had happened to her, something really bad that no one knew about. That thought had persisted on him for some time, for some reason.

_Hinata_...she would have made a great wife, just how his mother wanted.

Naruto shook his head, it was not good to think of the past or what could have been. Besides, he had the best..._ehr girlfriend?_ He wasn't really sure how he stood with Karin, what he knew for sure is that it was the best sex ever, not that he had much experience with other women. As a matter of fact, he had lost his virginity with her, and was pretty sure she had lost hers with him. Of course, no matter how many times he asked she would assure him, in that unconvincingly way of hers, that he had not been her first. Karin had, to his amazement, been a submissive (in bed). And man if he liked that. So used he had been to Sakura's bossy manner, that the day Karin had told him in such a sweet and innocent manner 'onegai...' he had almost come all over her ass.

Flat chested Karin had apparently been a late bloomer, because 21 year old Karin had the sweetest double D, crowed with the softest pink nipple...

_But enough of Karin Naruto! back to Sasuke, Karin only left two days ago, you spent the whole night before fucking her, as per request, it had been great, she's coming back in three days and,_ "Damn it!" He had a hard on.

After calming _himself_ down, because Naruto was not going to think of Sasuke while having a hard on, seriously, he wrapped himself around his pillow, as usual, and smirked before closing his eyes. He knew what he was going to do. Kakashi-sensei after all, owed him some favors.

* * *

><p>Have anyone ever noticed how Naruto hugs his pillow while he sleeps? lololol and apparently Sai and Ino's wedding is the root of all evil. Ja ja<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

I am very sorry for the late chapter. School is killing me but here it is. Hopefully next won't take as long. Thanks everyone that has liked, followed and heck! so many thanks for everyone that has taken a bit of time to review! You guys are awesome. This fic has little by little become a clown of a fic, when I started writing it I was not planing on making it humorous, but it happened. So this chapter is kind of funny too, but next it should get more serious. Let's see, because I plan one thing and then another one happens.

And I still have to proofread more the chapter, but I was getting anxious on posting it, so here it is.

One more thing. I really really want to thank Voyna for this chapter, she really helped me with the guys dinner conversation, specially the Shino and Kiba bit, I wasn't planning on adding them, but she is freaking in love with the guys and why not, she loves this couple so yeah.

* * *

><p>"Hanabi-chan, I told you you do not have to help me fold my clothes..." Because Hinata had promised her, before her last mission, to have a sister's get together, right after it. They were both usually rather busy, but these sisters loved each other dearly and liked to spend time together, whenever they had a chance.<p>

Hanabi in particular regarded Hinata as a mother of sorts, and Hinata, in a certain way, treated her as her own child. Fact was that while Hanabi had loved her elder sister's attention while she had been a small girl, now as a young woman, she craved an intimacy that Hinata seemed to share only with her former sensei. It was like an invisible line had been laid out from the her younger days. That distinctive line that delineated mother/daughter relationships, and it had been very difficult for Hanabi to cross it over.

Hinata on the other hand, always felt sorry that Hanabi was never able to meet their own mother, and considered herself blessed to have spent, at least, a little time with her while she was still alive. But alas, as it was, she had been so active with missions lately, that her laundry had piled up to unnerving levels. It bothered her immensely, since Hinata had a clean freak streak, something that Hanabi always teased her about, but which she never acknowledged.

She had finished it at two in the morning, (the laundromat was thankfully available 24/7 for the building's tenants) and Hinata went to bed that night (morning), promising herself she would fold everything the next day. She could not, under any circumstances, leave it for another day. Hinata had also an obsessive compulsive streak.

"Nee-san I said it's ok... seriously Hinata, you have to be the virgin with the sexiest underwear in Konoha" teased Hanabi while playfully lifting a small lacy bit of undergarment. Hinata blushed, as expected, and for different reasons. She cleared her voice and laughed nervously. "What are you saying Hanabi-chan...?"

"No really," and she lifted the bright purple lace thong once again.

"Kunoichi Secret? Look at this... it is like your subconscious is telling you, you need a man in your bed."

"Hanabi-chan!" Hinata was scandalized. "It's just that... regular ones always give me wedgies..." Hinata looked down and her blush deepened.

Hanabi scoffed, "you say it as if it is a problem... Look, nee-san don't be embarrassed, I'm wearing a bombshell bra," and Hanabi lifted her blouse, displaying a blood red brassiere embroidered with black lace. That explained something. Hinata had thought that her sister's bosom had conspicuously grown bigger all of a sudden.

"But Hanabi-chan, you don't need to wear that to be pretty" and gave her a gentle smile. Hanabi stared at her unimpressed.

"So says the girl with the triple D cup..." Hinata sighed, she would rather have Hanabi's cup size anyday, "But anyhow nees-an," and the younger woman spoke gravelly, placing a hand on her elder sister's shoulder, "if you were not a Hyuga, or a kunoichi, or the fact that father would end up having an early death, you could probably make a killing by posing for PlayShinobi."

"Hanabi-chan!" and Hanabi laughed. Her sister was such a prude.

"Really nee-san... you have the perfect hourglass figure... so jealous..." she murmured, but it was all well intentioned. "The only thing I have bigger than you is my butt, but even then yours is great. And Konohamaru has gotten the bad habit of slapping it every time he has a chance... I'll kick him in the balls one of these days... " she muttered pensively. Hinata blushed, once again, at her sister's candid talk of her boyfriend.

Hanabi then grinned. "You know, we could even feature that stupid Anaconda video... My Anconda don't" she sang "my Anaconda don't, want none, unless you've got some buns, hun!" and shook her hips (and butt). Hinata stared at her unsure of what she was singing about, but figured it could not have been anything good.

Hanabi sat down once again, dropping her shoulders in defeat. Hinata was impossible, "nee-san you are not fun" she pouted and Hinata just patted her head.

They continued like that for a while and finally Hanabi broke the silence. "I heard you got another marriage proposal nee-san..."

"Ah," Hinata assented lamely and uninterested.

"Otosan really wants you to get married, but I would hate to see you miserable. Are you really not seeing anyone?" because Hanabi had yet to ever see her sister date anyone. Ever. And she knew Hinata was popular. She might act all ignorant, but every time they went out, she would always see men stare appreciatively at her.

"No Hanabi-chan... I don't have time for that."

"So you have been asked out. Right?"

"No, I haven't."

"Nee-san don't lie to me."

"It does not matter Hanabi, if I have been asked out or not. I'm not interested at the moment in getting involved... with anyone."

"Mhh," Hanabi reflected for a moment, "you know who is back in the village?" and Hinata tensed, "Uchiha Sasuke" and she whispered, as if it was some secret.

"Nee-san, he is sooo hot. I saw him the other day. I heard he is single, I bet if he sees you he will want to..."

"Hanabi-chan I did see him a couple of days ago. Please, let's talk about something else. Neh?" Hinata was gentle with her request, yet Hanabi noticed an edge on her voice, and thought it strange. Hanabi could be silly sometimes, but she was analytical in nature. She stored that bit for later rumination, and asked Hinata how did her last mission go.

-o-

Kurenai was a very active woman those days. Life was hectic for a single mom, but she did not complain. Even though her daughter did not enjoy the attentions grandparents usually bestow on their grandchildren, the Sarutobi clan was still big enough so that Mirai never lacked love from uncles and cousins. Konohamaru specially came to see her every week, sometimes accompanied by Hanabi. Biwako and Hiruzen had produced ten off-springs during their marriage, seven sons and three daughters. Three of which died in the line of duty.

But it was often the joke, of how often did the Third and his wife 'got it on', having ten children and all... Biwako, of course, never saw the humor in it during her lifetime. As a no-nonsense kind of woman, she did not appreciate the teasing. Hiruzen on the other hand would often smirk and wiggle his eyebrows. Poor old pervert man, the Third. He had lived the death of his wife and two children. No one ever said the life of a shinobi was easy.

Kurenai missed dearly the Third and of course, Asuma. Asuma had been buried next to the Third, who had been placed next to his wife. She would often take Mirai to the Konoha cementery and together clean the three graves, to teach her filial piety. And Kurenai would tell her daughter stories of her father and grandfather courage and strength. Kurenai still cried at night sometimes, but she thanked Kami-sama everyday for her beautiful baby. Kurenai felt blessed to have Mirai, she was her one chance at life.

Mirai loved her older cousin Konohamaru. He always brought her sweets and would take her out to eat icecream quite often. However, it was undoubtedly Hinata the one she preferred the most. Hinata's sweet demeanor earned her a warm place in the little girl's heart, a love only overshadowed by Mirai's love to her mother.

Mirai would sometimes stay with Hinata, when Kurenai had to leave on some mission outside the village, which seldom ever happened. She would also often pick up Mirai from the Academy and take her with her grocery shopping, which usually followed by Hinata making her dinner. Mirai preferred Hinata's cooking over her mom's, but that was of course a secret between the two. Kurenai knew though, and she did not mind. Asuma never complained, but she knew he often did it so to not incommode her.

Now Mirai had not seen Hinata for almost a month and had missed them dearly. And so that Wednesday afternoon, the young kunoichi showed up at her door.

Kurenai knew instantly something was wrong. If there was someone in the village that knew Hinata personally and intimately, that was Kurenai. The older woman had been the only person in the village Hinata confessed to what happened. But she never revealed the name of the perpetrator.

It did not happen right away. Hinata did so some time after she gave birth, and Kurenai who was at first surprised and ditraught for her student's sake did not honestly know what to do or what to say, except let her lean on her thighs and let her cry her sorrows away. Hinata had not wanted to trouble her sensei with her problems. Kurenai had enough with a newborn baby.

She never pushed her or goaded to disclose the identity, rather she respected her student's wish for anonymity. Which was why Kurenai understood Hinata's refusal to get involved romantically, while many others found it strange, including Hinata's father.

Kurenai thought often about it. Hinata was a strong kunoichi, there was no doubt about that. No many people could go against a Hyuga and come out unscathed. Therefore, one thing she deduced, was that the man most have been very strong. She also thought that he most probably was from some other village, and that Hinata did not want for her clan to start some confrontation over it. Because if there was one thing she knew for sure, was that Hiashi would raise hell if he ever found out some bastard dared dishonor his daughter in such a way.

In-house rape occurred often enough, but such situations often involved lots alcohol and scanty clothes. Not that being dressed like a harlot should ever give the right to any man to take advantage of it. Inter village rape, on the other hand, most often than not ended with a dead victim. A captured kunoichi with which some shinobis could take the edge off, and then swiftly terminate. That was why teams were usually never made only with females.

But she could not remember ever seeing Hinata wounded in any way. She only recalled Hinata being bruised after the war, completely chakra drained, but not heavily injured. And Hinata did say it had happened before the war. Many things were very confusing about Hinata's story, but today those details were of no consequence. What really mattered was, and she knew, that Hinata still suffered. Kurenai's heart broke one day Hinata confided that Naruto had asked her out and she refused. Kurenai knew just then, just how much pain her sweet student still harbored in her heart.

"I am so sorry about the mess Hinata, today was cleaning day." Hinata smiled gently and shook her hand. "No matter sensei, let me help you, I just came to inconvenience you."

Hinata grabbed a rag and started to wipe a table, but Kurenai took her by the arm and sat her in the couch.

"Wait, lets talk for a bit, what kind of hostess would I be if I have my guest come and clean my own house." Hinata helped Kurenai a great deal in the house while she was pregnant and even after the birth of Mirai, so it was not uncommon for her to come and just do the dishes, clean the living room or simply cook some dinner. That was the kind of person Hinata was. But Kurenai had not seen her in almost a month, it was not be so. "Konohamaru came. He said he got a bit crazy during the festival, did you enjoy it?" Hinata blushed and looked aside. _Ohhh? _"Did something happen?" Hinata blushed harder and looked to the other side.

"Ehh... ano... Kurenai-sensei, something crazy happened..." and thanks to her good hearing was Kurenai able to hear her last words. She remembered Hinata as a young thing, how she would often get like that around Naruto, but never with her. 'Something' must have definitely happened.

Kurenai, waited. For a while. Hinata put some hair behind her ear. Rubbed her thighs. Looked one side, then the other. And then finally started that strange finger poking from her youth days. Kurenai held her hand, stopping her and Hinata's shoulders sank.

"I... kissed a man... at the festival." _Ohh so it was 'that' kind of something._

"And how did that happen dear? Did... you like it?" Hinata hid her face in her hands. _She did like it. _

Hinata then filled herself with some courage and related an abbreviated tale of the incident.

"... and then he kissed me while the fireworks were going off...Then I ran away..." Hinata looked then at Kurenai sensei.

"But sensei, that is not the worst of it." Kurenai was not sure why would that have been bad in the first place, but did not comment. Kurenai was really amused at this point. She could have never imagined the words that came after that.

"...it was him." Kurenai blinked a few times. _Him?_

"Him as in...?"

Hinata just stared at her with a depondent countenance, "Him sensei."

"Him."

"Yes. Him."

"Him... Konohamaru?"

"NO!, him, the guy who..."

"The guy who...raped you Hinata?" and Kurenai's voice went high pitched and she lost all sense of amusement, only to replace it with dread.

"YES! I mean, yes..."

"Hinata dear, how did that happen?" Kurenai calmed herself down. She knew for a fact, that there most have been some very logical explanation for this. Because Hinata was not, and she had never been a senseless woman, courageous and daring sometimes, but never a fool.

"I did not know it was him sensei... I also think he did not know who I was... He looked so different, older and he went by another name... And he was so gentle... And I found him here..."

_Older? Hinata found him in the village?_ This did not make any sense.

"Sweety, was he young like you when 'it' happened?"

"... hai..."

"...is he from Konoha?"

"... hai... no, I mean yes... sometimes... I don't know... he is never here..." Kurenai's eyes widened in realization. She only knew of one known person who had recently arrived in the village. And that was the last Uchiha.

"Dear, are we talking about Uchiha Sasuke?" cut Kurenai, straight to the point.

"... hai..."

-o-

That had been the most awkward talk she had ever had with Kurenai-sensei. Hinata decided after she left the apartment with Mirai in tow. It was embarrassing, but she had to let it out. She breathed out. It had been very relieving being able to talk about it. Now sensei knew who it was, something that she had not planned on ever telling anyone. But she knew she could trust Kurenai with her secret. Perhaps now she even understood the reasons behind her not revealing the incident.

If there was something she could tell, it was that Sasuke was a changed man. It did not make her automatically like him, and she definitely wanted to keep a healthy distance away from him. But at least now she knew for sure, that incident was not a daily occurrence in his life. And what he did to her... a mistake.

"What do you want me to make today Mirai-chan?" asked Hinata when they reached the open market.

"Strawberry daifuku!" screamed in delight the child. She really liked strawberries.

"Ok, but only after you eat dinner... Let's see I already have shiratamako to make the mochi... I just need the strawberries, buy some beans for the anko... Let us also make mochi icecream!" Hinata always got excited with mochi icecream. The little girl squealed with enthusiasm once again "We just need to buy some gelato and fruit jelly...And let us also make some tomato salad, they look very good today."

Hinata went to grab a tomato on the stall, not paying much attention to her surroundings. That was until she felt a stare on her person. A tall man was standing next to her, also looking at the red fruits. She looked to the side and up. And there he was. Again. Tomato in hand, and his eyes, even though his head was pointed forward, they were shifted sideways, placed on her person. Hinata wanted earth to swallow her up. _Why did she keep seeing him everywhere?_

The tomato in her hand fell down clumsily, and he grabbed it mid-air. "I don't think the stall lady would appreciate you dropping her produce." He clarified and placed the tomato back on her hand.

"Oh... gomenasai" she bowed politely to both, the lady and him and left in a hurry grabbing quickly Mirai's hand.

"But I thought you were going to make a tomato salad?... I like tomato salad" she pouted, and said this loud enough for the Uchiha to hear it. Children.

"That's right honey, gomene, gomene." And Hinata came back stiff and ill at ease, grabbed a few tomatoes, barely checking them and paid for them.

Sasuke just stood there, feeling awkward as well, if not more, but it wasn't as bad as when he saw the small girl next to Hinata. His eyes widened in horror.

Mirai pulled Hinata's sleeve as she was paying for the fruit. The young woman, understanding she wanted to say something in the low, lowered her head and Mirai whispered in her ear. "He is so cute nee-chan? Is he your friend?"

Hinata whimpered, "No honey...later ok" she whispered back. Uchiha and his good looks, it was starting to get unnerving. First Hanabi and now Mirai too?

Hinata left, almost dragging Mirai behind her, while Sasuke just stood there, frozen like a stone. He cleared his head, placed the tomato he had been looking at back with the others and ran after them.

"Hyuga!" He yelled dodging the crowd. Hinata did not look back, even though Mirai did so, continually and whispered loudly "Hinata-neechan, I think he likes you..." Hinata hurried her pace.

"No honey he doesn't..."

"But he is calling you..."

"Don't look back, just keep walking." But Sasuke just showed up suddenly in front of her, startling her, making her take a step back.

"Hyuga I think we need to talk..."

"No we don't..." and Mirai looked amusedly back and forth, without understanding much of what was going on, but really really sure the guy liked her nee-chan. Girls had a sixth sense for that kind of stuff.

"Ehh... I think we do..." Sasuke was serious and Hinata was starting to freak out.

"Wharaaap!" appeared Kiba out of nowhere.

"Dude, I heard you were back, what's up? Hinata, Mirai-chan!" Kiba grinned wolfishly.

"Kiba jii-san!" squealed happily the young girl.

"Jii-san? What the hell Mirai?"

"Kiba language... If you want to be called nii-chan, cut your beard."

"But Hinata, I look hot like this. Chicks dig it..." Hinata sighed, but was relieved. At least having someone else there removed some of the discomforting presence.

"Hey, Naruto told me you were back," Sasuke wanted to strangle him all of a sudden. They became kind of chummy after an embarrassing drunken night the last time he came to Konoha, but still.

"Look, both of you, on Friday, in the Korean BBQ all you can eat on the 7th Street, at 1900. Everyone is getting together. Hinata, you can't get out of it, cancel whatever, last time you left without telling no one. You have to be in this one, it will be a blast!"

"Ok ok Kiba, but I have to go now. Let's go Mirai."

"Bye bye Kiba jii-san! Bye binan-niichan!"

"Uhh? You get to be called binan and I get called jii-san... so not fair..." But Sasuke was barely paying attention and just looking at Hinata swiftly leave with the young girl that... could be his daughter."

"Is that..."

"Yeah, that's her daughter man, really sad situation." Tsked Kiba. Him and Sasuke were obviously not on the same page.

-o-

The situation was worst than what he first envisioned. He thought while placing his grocery on the kitchen counter. He... took advantage of her 7 years ago, and that girl was around that age. She had black hair _and red eyes?_ Maybe a strange gene expression. It did not matter. He was screwed. There was no way solving this. And Hinata obviously did not want to talk to him. I mean why would she? But damn it, he really needed to.

He sat on the kitchen table, and dropped his head on his arms. He really did not know what to do now.

-o-

"Kampai!" chorused the people at the big table in the back of the Korean BBQ restaurant. It was just the second round of sake being served and Sasuke wanted to leave already. He drank the cup in one shot and felt then his rib being elbowed from the fifth time that night.

"Chouji-kuuun... here ahhh" and Karui hand fed her husband a piece of meat... while sitting on his lap... right next to Sasuke. She was the one that kept elbowing him. Accidentally of course.

Apparently there was some kind of contest of 'who is the sexiest wife' between Ino and her, because she was doing the same thing with Sai, who incidentally was sitting on his other side. To say Sasuke felt awkward sitting in between chummy couples was an understatement. And seriously, the only reason he kept there was the dark haired beauty sitting on the other side of the table, in a corner next to Kiba. He was jealous.

He noticed Hinata did not talk much, just kept to herself and just listened the others talk. She of course, avoided looking anywhere near him, much to his annoyance. But what did he really expect. At least he had the chance to really observe her interact with others. He barely remembered her from the Academy days, just that she was really quiet and blushed easily. At least on that regard that hadn't changed much. She ate slowly, and very elegantly and he was a sucker for women with elegant mannerism and good table etiquette. It always reminded him of his mother.

"You can move closer to me, Sasuke-kun. I don't mind." Sasuke minded, a lot. Ino kept feeding Sai pieces too big, and he complained. Karui was more of a pro at that.

"Ino... I can't chew that... it's too big," complained the pale guy.

"Well, you need some meat on your bones," declared Ino.

"But Ino, you said last night you loved my meat..." Sai was confused and everyone stopped and turned to see them. Chouji mid-chew, and Sasuke just stared at the table, unnerved.

"Baka!" and Ino smacked Sai in the head "I meant your penis!" Everyone sweat-dropped and Hinata turned crimson.

"Ino, what else where we talking about?" And then they proceeded to hotly make out.

"Ewww!" Yowled Naruto theatrically, but Sai and Ino ignored him and continued their 'session'. Sasuke at this point was so uncomfortable, he just grabbed the sake bottle and chugged it.

"Hinata-chan," whined Kiba, "I'm glad you came, you never have time for us anymore... Hey Shino, when did she change so much. You are worst than Shino nowadays Hinata, I never see you anymore."

"Kiba, Hinata-chan has always been like that man..." pointed out Naruto from the other corner.

"No, she is so anal these days" added Kiba.

"Kiba-kun..." protested Hinata weakly.

"Mmh, it happened after the war, I think she has PTSD, but she does not want treatment. It is good, I have told her. Why? Because I took it myself."

"Shut up Shino, you just got pussy from the therapist." Shino blushed and glared at Kiba mortified. Not that Kiba could tell, since he wore those glasses. Shino hated it when Kiba talked his business.

"And I heard you got your third proposal too? Hinata is so popular these days..." added Kiba playfully. "It's ok Hinata, we still love you. I'd marry you myself, but I'm scared of Hiashi mowing down my balls. He only looks for the cream top. Us little mortals are not good enough for his sweet dear daughter. Maybe when she grows old and wrinkled..."

"Hinata will never be that desperate Kiba. I'm sure she will be married with kids by the time you decide to finally settle down with a woman."

"Shino... you are such a party pooper."

"I am just stating an intelligent guess." Kiba just glared at him.

"Hinata, didn't you want to become a nun?" remarked Ino while slapping Sai's hand away at the same time, a hand that had been surreptitiously trying to reach underneath her skirt.

"Fuck off Yamanaka" enunciated Kiba eloquently.

"I think that was your assumption Ino... and besides Hinata is too hot to be a nun." Ino glared at his husband, but he acted unwittingly. Ino rolled her eyes. Sai was really a weirdo. But he was a weirdo she loved... and a beast in bed. Not at first though. The first time they had sex it sucked, and she, who did not know much to begin with had to pretty much teach him everything. Sai was very appreciative of the matter.

"Yeah Sasuke I heard you got a lot of pussy out there, was it any good?" asked then Sai with genuine interest.

"What the hell man, after all that girl chasing after your ass you became a man-whore?"

"Kiba, you are the least appropriate to judge. Why? You are a man-whore yourself."

"Shut up Shino!"

"And why do you want to know Sai? You have been very friendly this evening..." remarked Ino suspiciously. Not that she should have. Sai had no tact, but he was very observant and honest. The problem laid in that he always ended up disclosing his honest observations, no matter how inappropriate or embarrassing they were.

"I read in this book, that..."

"Oh shut up," and Ino kissed him roughly and Sai finally managed to sneak his hand inside her skirt.

"You two get a room!" yelled Naruto after he finished chewing a piece of pork.

Not too long after that. Sai and Ino left, stating they had stuff to do. Everyone sweat dropped. But Sasuke was relieved. The couple leaving also meant that the corner of the table was left empty, allowing him the chance to sit in front of the Hyuga.

She ignored him pointedly and Sasuke could not be so conspicuous as to stare at her openly. Naruto smiled to himself from the other side. Sasuke was too obvious in his interest, he knew him too well.

She looked downcast, moved her pieces of meat here and there without tasting any. He had only seen her eat a few. Sasuke felt his chest constrict.

She was truly beautiful. Her hair was tied in a neat bun and she was wearing the same head piece she had on at the festival. Her autumn yukata was colored in an elegant mix of midnight blue, white and purple. There was barely any make up adorning her face, a bit of blush to accentuate her cheek bones and light pink shade of lip rouge on her lips. He could just imagine her at the hand of some prominent figure, like a perfect trophy wife and the thought of it made him fist a hand in anger. No, he would not accept that. Even less when they had a child together, no matter the circumstances under which it happened. There must be something he could do. Surely a woman raising a child alone must be hard, maybe if he follows that logic he can convince her to...

But his thought process was stopped when he saw her raise from the pillow she was sitting at. She kissed the dog-man and the bug-man and bowed politely to everyone.

"Hinata-chan, why are you leaving so early?" complained Naruto.

"Gomenasai, Naruto-kun. I have to get up early tomorrow."

"But it is not even nine yet?" continued the blond. Hinata just smiled politely, without really replying and left.

Sasuke, half desperate, got up a moment after, excusing himself to the restroom, and ran after her.

"Hyuga!" Hinata stopped this time, but did not turn around.

"Is there something you needed Uchiha-san?" asked Hinata when he stood in front of her. Sasuke did not know where to start, but he wasn't one to beat around the bush, so he just went straight to the point.

"I need to know." He stopped to breathe in, "Is that girl... is she ours?" Hinata's eyes widened in horror understanding the young man's misunderstanding. She opened her mouth, about to say something when...

"Sasuke-kun!" At any other time, Sasuke would have been glad to see Sakura, specially since he had not seen her in so long. But at that exact moment, the only thing he wanted was to make the pink haired kunoichi disappear, ipso-facto. He scratched his head, cursing inwardly.

"Sakura." Sakura looked at them both curiously, wondering why were they together but ultimately ignored it, as one does to things that sometimes one does not want to think about.

"Sakura-san, good evening." Hinata bowed and then left.

"Sasuke-kun, Naruto had told me you were back. Why had you not come to visit me ah? I have really missed you... I had been so busy at the hospital, leaving too late everyday... but I'm so glad to see you back." Sakura blushed and Sasuke sighed inwardly remembering the main reason why he suddenly left the last time he came to Konoha.

-o-

At the end he ended up getting drunk with Kiba and Naruto. He was really pathetic.

Sakura, poor Sakura. He tried, he really tried to make things work out with her. But he couldn't.

He almost had sex with her, the last time he was in Konoha, and stopped himself just in time. How could he sleep with Sakura, when the one woman he could not stop thinking about was her friend and comrade? It was not fair, for any of them, and Sasuke had learned not to be so egoistical in life. But Sakura did not understand. She couldn't, she did not know the whole story. She thought he was some dark hero that needed saving. And she thought that with perseverance, he would come to love her, which he never did.

Sakura, did not understand that some things in life cannot be achieved with perseverance. Feelings cannot be forced upon a person, it has to grow naturally. And Sasuke, to the pink kunoichi's misfortune, had none of the romantic kind for his friend. It was just not meant to be.

"Kiba" drawled Sasuke drunkenly "is that little girl really Hinata's?"

"Ahhh? dude, you drunk?" he laughed, "that is Kurenai's daughter" replied Kiba equally as drunk, if no worse. At least their words were still coherent.

"Kiba..."

"mhh"

"I'm gonna kill you man..."

"mhh..."

And they all ended up sprawled in Naruto's apartment floor.

-o-

"So... no blow job today?" stated Sasuke conversationally.

Kakashi sighed affectedly, "No, no blow job today" replied the Hokage creasing his eyes in a pleasant smile.

"You must be feeling so lonely" added Sasuke with affected sorrow himself.

"I am," and this time Kakshi let out a real sigh. "Sasuke is it just me, or you have actually developed a sense of humor now?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and went straight to the matter.

"Naruto said you wanted to talk to me Kakashi, what is it? As far as I know I have behaved properly."

"Now Sasuke, what makes you think I called you here just to scold you ah?" Sasuke looked bored.

"Alright, since you don't like this old sensei of yours anymore..." Sasuke knew Kakshi was just being theatrical, "Naruto said you might be staying here for a while... I was wondering if you might want to take on a mission... I will even give you Jounin pay."

"Did Naruto put you up to this? Because if he did I..."

"So what if he did Sasuke, don't be so defensive. Naruto cares about you. I do too, believe it or not. Look this is just an escort mission of an ambassador. But we need a strong shinobi, since it will involve the meeting of all the villages. You will even be leaving Konoha for a while, for a place I might add, you would probably not even had the chance to go on your own. You are considered persona non-grata over there. It is a good opportunity for you and see that Hidden Village."

"Am I to assume we are talking about Kumo?"

"You assume right."

"And do you really think that is a good idea? Because I went out to eat with the guys not too long ago and that Karui girl was kind of... vicious. So I'm assuming she still holds a grudge. And by the way how in the world did Choji end up with that?" It just did not make any sense to Sasuke.

"Beats me. But if you really want to know the whole of it, I'm sure Ino would be more than delighted to enlighten you" he teased.

Sasuke shook his head, he really did not care. Good for them, he guessed.

"Are you trying to pull some political maneuver here? Because I don't think that would be wise," continued Sasuke.

"Sasuke, stop assuming so much. I am trying to pull something but it has nothing to do with you. And no, I will not discuss it with you. Tell me do you want to do it? Yes or no?"

Sasuke looked aside for a moment, thinking. Only a couple of weeks here in Konoha and it was starting to feel stuffy already. He did not necessarily need the money. Sure the Uchihas had not been rich or anything like that. They were ninjas not merchants or craftmans. But when you combine an entire clan's assets under one account... Sasuke generally did not spend much, but nonetheless money does not grow on trees. He made up his mind.

"Alright, who am I escorting?"

"Oh, she should be here soon. I scheduled half an hour later because I knew you would be... difficult. But she is always early." Kakashi smiled pleasantly again. Sasuke snorted and someone knocked politely on the door. Three knocks, as it was custom.

"Ah there she is. Come in!" Kakashi beckoned loudly.

The door opened. Sasuke wheeled his head around to see the person, and then turned back again stiffly. He was going to strangle whoever was behind this, and everything indicated that person to be Naruto.

Hinata was at the door.

* * *

><p>The daifuku is made with fruit on the inside wrapped in anko (sweet red bean) and mochi paste, that is why Hinata offers to make ice-cream mochi too, heck, I get excited with ice-cream mochi too!<p> 


End file.
